My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister for Finance and Administration. Does the minister recall his statement after the Prime Minister announced the takeover of Mersey hospital:

... obviously my Department will be involved ultimately in the costing exercise.

Does this mean that the finance department did not cost the Mersey hospital takeover before it was announced? Can the minister now indicate when he was first informed of the Prime Minister’s decision to take over the Mersey hospital? Has the minister’s department now prepared a full costing of the Mersey hospital takeover? Was it the minister’s department that estimated the cost of the hospital takeover to be $45 million a year, and does the minister stand by that figure?