Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, I know that. But I have to anticipate the public risk that is being put upon us through this legislation. I am asking the minister, firstly, to provide the committee with the list of the 16 who have indicated that they will avail themselves of the guarantee in this legislation. Secondly, I ask: did the government seek from any or all of those 16 the extent of anticipated borrowings? We have to thank the Financial Review for quoting an estimate of $88 billion as to forward borrowing by the big four in the financial year 2009. So I do not think it would have been too difficult to get from the banks—at least those who were in the starting gates for Friday—the anticipated borrowing on the market for which they wanted, and are going to get, a guarantee.