Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to legal opinion provided by former president of the Law Council of Australia and former commission of inquiry head, Mr Bret Walker SC, which states:

The full deployment of the royal commission’s power—

talking about the Cole commission—

to investigate and make findings of fact cannot squarely address the question whether there has been any Commonwealth wrongdoing.

Given that Mr Walker’s legal opinion is based on an analysis of both Mr Cole’s existing terms of reference and Mr Cole’s subsequent statement explaining his terms of reference, will the Prime Minister now widen Mr Cole’s powers so he is totally unfettered in uncovering the truth of who is responsible for this $300 million wheat for weapons scandal?

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