Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

It was a long supplementary question, and I intend Senator Stott Despoja no disrespect by not being able to deal with all of it as comprehensively as I would choose to. Perhaps I will deal with the last question first. It is the case that the Prime Minister has asked Mr Downer to consider the position of the tour. The government’s present inclination is that we would prefer that the tour did not go ahead but that we would leave the decision to Cricket Australia, noting that Cricket Australia has some attendant or other obligations to the ICC. Whilst the government might have a clear preference, the position that Cricket Australia takes will be a matter for it—but the government’s view would be drawn to its attention.

As to the issues to do with economic sanctions, I think those deserve a much longer answer than I am able to give right at this very moment. But I will check, for the purposes of providing a comprehensive answer, whether there are children or relatives in Australia of the category that Senator Stott Despoja talks about.