Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise this afternoon to speak on this matter of public importance submitted by the Leader of the Opposition. I would like to read into the Hansard what it says:

The Government placing its short term political interests ahead of the long term national interest in relation to AWB Oil for Food scandal.

Nothing could be further from the truth. I reject outright this MPI introduced by the opposition. It is this government, following the Volcker report on the UN oil for food program, that established the Cole inquiry. The inquiry headed by Justice Cole will investigate all matters from the Volcker report. It has the powers of a royal commission. As the foreign minister said this afternoon in this debate, of 66 countries, we are the only one that has established an inquiry with royal commission powers into the Volcker report and the findings that relate to the Australian Wheat Board. The other 65 countries that were mentioned in that report are not doing anything like establishing a royal commission into the adverse findings against them in the Volcker report.

The Labor Party has spent the last two weeks attacking the Prime Minister and government ministers—the trade minister, the foreign minister, the agriculture minister—and anyone else they thought that they could slur under the privilege of this parliament, because they are trying to imply that they had knowledge of the kickbacks that are alleged under the Volcker report. In that two weeks they produced no evidence, but they continue to slur the reputation of decent people. That is what they are doing—slurring the good names of good people. They spent two weeks asking 70 questions and putting up MPIs and censure motions, and they still have not brought forward a shred of evidence to back up their claims.

Some of the slurs are so offensive to me and to other members on this side of the parliament that I believe those on the other side should apologise to our ministers. Those opposite are bringing slurs against these ministers, alleging that they knew of these kickbacks and that the money was being used to fund Palestinian suicide bombers.

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