Derek McDowell (Labour)

It is unacceptable, frankly, that he chose to treat those who asked reasonable questions almost as technophobes or Neanderthals. We know that he was wrong, so he should pay the price. While there can be a tendency for Opposition Members to ask for resignations and the heads of Ministers more quickly than we should, I think that in a similar instance in any other jurisdiction, the Minister in question would no longer be in office.

The House is probably aware that the British Prime Minister, Mr. Blair, appointed a commission for Africa yesterday. It struck me that the House could usefully have a debate on the issue. It is probably not an exaggeration to say that the entire continent of Africa has become something of a basket case in recent years. Its infrastructure is probably less developed than it was in colonial days. Africa is riven by civil strife and war. Civil governance is not established and corruption is endemic. There are signs of hope, such as the establishment of the African Union and the pursuit of a policy of renaissance for Africa by the South African President, Mr. Mbeki. Many Senators have an interest in the issue. A particular source of interest is the fact that Ireland has provided an increased amount of overseas development aid to Africa in recent years. The House could have a useful debate on the matter and a degree of consensus could be reached.