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

Do you want to hear the answer or not? You are a squawking lot over there. I have a very clear recollection of the meetings I had in Iraq in 2003. In fact on my recent visit to Iraq over the weekend we reflected on some of those activities with both the members of the Australian Defence Force and the members of the Iraqi government, as it was my second visit to Iraq post 2003. While I am answering this question I will take the opportunity of acknowledging and thanking very much the Australian defence forces in Iraq for their efforts today and then. They looked after and accommodated our visit to Iraq to ensure that we look after the Australian national interest in Iraq today, as we did then. I did have a meeting with Trevor Flugge in Iraq. The insinuations being drawn by the Australian Labor Party are absolutely outrageous.

See this speech in context