Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and International Security) Share this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer to evidence presented to the Cole inquiry yesterday that as late as June 2005 the minister told the AWB that he was delighted with AWB’s cooperation with the Volcker inquiry and that the AWB had been exemplary. I also refer to the editorial in the Australian newspaper today, which states:

Short of a neon sign flashing “Saddam bribes hidden here” it is hard to imagine what more Mr Downer and DFAT would have needed to comprehensively investigate AWB ...

It went on further to say:

... Mr Downer has demonstrated he no longer has the judgment to serve as Australia’s foreign minister—or in any higher office. His department needs a shake-up and a new minister.

Finally, it said:

The wheat-for-weapons scandal has claimed its first scalp—Mr Downer’s credibility is crippled.

Minister, do you accept any responsibility whatsoever for this scandal?

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