Mark Vaile (Lyne, National Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

The point I want to make is that the WEA, in terms of their inquiries and the work that they do, have certain restrictions imposed on them by the Wheat Marketing Act. The member for Hotham knows that, and I am sure the member for Corio knows that, but, because of the way the Leader of the Opposition is treating them, they are not likely to tell him. As I have said, the government has handed over all the documents and has assisted the Volcker inquiry fully.

The WEA analysis, I am advised, was being undertaken while the Volcker inquiry was under way. That analysis—and they only look at AWB information—was based on AWB contract data, and they found no problems. The chair, Tim Besley, has already stated that. They found nothing untoward. When he gave that response the Labor Party attacked him personally in Senate estimates. The WEA analysis is based on AWB contract data. They do not have any information of their own; it is only AWB data. The government had encouraged AWB to cooperate fully with the Volcker inquiry, and DFAT cooperated fully with the Volcker inquiry.

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