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

110! It is a world record in futility. They have had 110 opportunities to actually finger some misbehaviour by an officer of the Commonwealth, to establish some link between the allegations made against AWB Ltd—and they are at the moment only allegations. Whatever people may say about the conduct of that company, the members and the officers of that company are entitled to due process. That due process requires people to at least wait until the commissioner has made a finding and to at least wait until all the directors of the company have had an opportunity to express their points of view.

Let me say again lest there be any doubt in the minds of anybody in this parliament: no knowledge in relation to the alleged bribery by AWB Ltd was in the possession of members of my government—in my or any of my colleagues possession—at the time those offences occurred.

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