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

I do not believe that any officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been guilty of misconduct or guilty of negligence. But these are matters properly left to the commissioner. No government in the world has been as transparent as this government has been. Not only do we have an inquiry with the powers of a royal commission but day by day, not every second day but every day that this parliament has sat, all of my ministers, from me down, have been here in the parliament, answering questions on this subject. The Leader of the Opposition carries on about accountability. The ultimate test of an accountable government is its willingness and its capacity, where allegations are made, to establish an independent inquiry to get to the truth of those allegations, coupled with a willingness to make itself accountable every day, not every second day, before the parliament of this nation. On that test alone this has been a very accountable government. I simply say to the Leader of the Opposition: you have had all the time in the world to make your case, and you have failed miserably.

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