Once, while Raymond Barre was Prime Minister [1976–1981], he asked me, given that I worked at the Treasury, whether I often travelled to Brussels. In that case, he said, I must meet Hans Tietmeyer. He said: “He is very influential, and he is a tough negotiator. If you have issues to discuss with him, good luck!” That was a considerable compliment.
Madam chair, I feel that it is important for me to make an additional statement, anticipating that the Committee will be interested once again in the matters that we have been discussing for some time now in Note Printing Australia (NPA) and Securency, and which have been prominent in the media over the past few days.