Mr HOWARD (Prime Minister) (3:25 PM) —Mr Speaker, I inform the House that the Treasurer will be absent from question time today due to budget commitments. I will answer questions on the Treasurer's behalf. I also inform the House that the Minister for Trade will be absent from question time today and for the remainder of the week. The minister is visiting a number of European capitals for WTO trade negotiations, to represent Australia at the OECD Ministerial Council meeting, and for bilateral discussions. The minister will also visit Bangkok for trade discussions with the Thai Prime Minister and the Minister of Commerce. In his absence, the Minister for Foreign Affairs will answer questions on his behalf.