Howard: "Speaking for myself, I did not personally have any discussion, from recollection, with any of them. I would be very surprised, in relation to a matter like this, if representations had been made by all of the interested parties to various levels of the Government. In fact, I would be quite amazed."
Howard said: "The member asked me what communication my office had with Manildra relating to the decision to change excise arrangements for the ethanol industry. As I stated earlier, I had not spoken to Dick Honan on this issue. I have, on checking, found that a number of letters were received on this general issue, not just on ethanol but on the general issue . . . My office did receive a letter from Mr Honan but that letter was not passed to me."