pursuit. 26 February – The ALP government of Geoff Gallop is re-elected in Western Australia for a second term. 27 February – Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone announces an extension of the Rau inquiry from original date of 24 March. Neil Comrie, the former Victorian Police Commissioner, is recruited to help Mick Palmer in the inquiry investigations. March 9 March – Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone rejects the findings of a Senate report regarding the replacement of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). 17 March – News Limited newspapers report that Liberal Senator Ross Lightfoot, while on a parliamentary tour to Iraq, smuggled US$20,000 into the country on behalf of Woodside Petroleum as a donation for the Kurdish government, having been issued with a pistol for personal security. The newspapers published photographs of Mr. Lightfoot appearing with Kurdish militants wielding an AK-47. Mr. Lightfoot strenuously denies the allegations and threatens legal action against the newspapers carrying the story. 18 March – Prime Minister John Howard admits that Liberal Senator Ross Lightfoot has changed his story regarding the Cash for Kurds affair. 20 March – Prime Minister John Howard confirms that some aspects of the Federal Government's immigration detention policies are under review. Labor wins the seat of Werriwa. 21 March – Federal Government backbenchers, churches and the Family First Party lobby for the Federal Government to relax its refugee policy for Christian converts, but Prime Minister John Howard announces that no special treatment will be given. 22 March – Stuart Copeland, the Queensland Shadow Minister for Health, raises the issue of Doctor Jayant Patel's clinical practice during Question Time in the Queensland Parliament. Copeland had been alerted to Patel's inadequacies by Toni Hoffman, a nurse at the Bundaberg Base Hospital. Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott announces that his alleged long lost son is actually the son of another man, according to DNA testing. 24 March – Prime Minister John Howard puts state Labor governments on notice to cut taxes or else, giving them four weeks to comply. 25 March – Rob Messenger, the National Party Member of Parliament for Burnett, raises the matter of Doctor Jayant Patel in a speech to the Queensland Legislative Assembly. He calls for Patel's suspension. April 2 April – The Shark 02 Royal Australian Navy Westland Sea King helicopter crashes off the coast of Nias, killing nine people. 9 April – Queensland Health Minister Gordon