Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Members may laugh. They may think: ‘We all know why now.’ We certainly did not know then. Subsequent to this cable of 11 March, that information was obtained—you can see in the reporting of this cable; it tells the story quite clearly—and it was given to the United Nations. The United Nations read those contracts and said that, as a result of that, the matter was closed. Whilst at the time of the conversation in Washington, reported in the 11 March cable, the matter had not been closed according to the United Nations, when DFAT subsequently obtained the information they wanted, the United Nations closed the matter.

I would have thought that the allegation that departmental officers of DFAT, me—the minister—the Minister for Trade and the Prime Minister had all been negligent was the exact reverse to what these cables showed, that people were assiduous in following up inquiries, obtaining information and ensuring that these matters were investigated to the fullest extent possible. Of course, if the opposition had had its way, it would have left the oil for food program in place indefinitely, along with its friend Saddam Hussein.

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