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Mr ARMSTRONG: My question is directed to the Attorney General. Can the Attorney General give an assurance to the House that, if Allan Baker is released from prison, arrangements will be put in place so that he can be arrested immediately and extradited to Queensland so that he can be tried for murder?
Mr DEBUS: I refer to my previous answer—
Mr Hartcher: No. Answer this one.
Mr DEBUS: You are extraordinary! I refer to my previous answer, in which I indicated that, notwithstanding obfuscation by the Opposition, we are not talking here about a parole hearing. We are talking here about a redetermination of the sentence, not about a parole hearing, which could be a very long time in the future, if at all. However, after the decision of the Supreme Court we will sit down with Mr Morse and determine whether extradition will be at any time an appropriate course. We have been working, without publicity, with the Queensland Government for some time; that is to say, my predecessor has been so working. The Queensland Government indicated to the New South Wales Government as long ago as March of last year that it would be prepared to take Crump and Baker and indict them for rape and murder. Following discussions by a number of people in the Government with Mr Morse, it was decided that this would, however, not be considered until after Baker's sentence redetermination. These are matters, therefore, that will be taken up with my Queensland counterpart at an appropriate time.