Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

No, it is about Saddam’s budget. You know, the one you supported. I refer to the statement in which the Prime Minister said that it was not until February 2005 that ‘this issue really came onto the radar screen for me’. That was your quote. I also refer to this email, just released by the Cole inquiry, between the head of the Iraq task force in Canberra and Ambassador Thawley in Washington, from before the 2004 Australian election. This communication refers specifically to ‘guidance we have from the Prime Minister and our ministers on AWB and the Volcker inquiry’. Prime Minister, doesn’t this email prove that you were fully aware of the dimensions of this scandal prior to the last election?

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