John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I did not mislead the House. Let me repeat that the information that I gave in that answer was a very fair and accurate reflection of the way in which the government had responded to Volcker. Let me further inform the House that the Chief Executive Officer of WEA has advised his minister—and I have in turn been advised—that he and senior members of his staff met with the UN senior investigator, Bernard O’Donnell, and his assistant, Mr Trevor Sutton, at WEA offices in Canberra on 25 February 2005. WEA informed O’Donnell of the role of WEA and of the confidentiality constraints of the Wheat Marketing Act as well as those between WEA and AWB International. WEA advised that, in order to provide material to the Volcker inquiry, WEA would require the consent of AWB International. The authority suggested that the detailed material being requested by Volcker would most likely be held by AWBI. O’Donnell acknowledged the WEA’s position and informed the authority that he would shortly meet AWBI people in Melbourne.

It is perfectly plain from that that we have followed a transparent process. Once again, this attempt by the Leader of the Opposition to misrepresent the behaviour of the government, to slur decent public servants and to slur decent ministers is being exposed for what it is. I say again to the Leader of the Opposition—who prances around this country feigning outrage—that, alone among the governments of this world, the government I lead has established a transparent inquiry with the powers of a royal commission, and they will get to the bottom of it. I look forward to debating the conclusion of that inquiry with the Leader of the Opposition in this parliament.

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