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

The only government in the world that faced the full impact of having a proper royal commission style inquiry into the oil for food scandal is the government that I lead. I am precluded from saying anything about the processes of the royal commission until the royal commissioner brings down his findings on 24 November. Then we will know the considered findings by Mr Terence Cole, a very eminent Australian lawyer. But until then I am not going to comment on what he may or may not find. But I will say this: the government I lead is the only government in the world that established a full, transparent inquiry. It is the only government in the world whose ministers appeared and answered questions under oath. It is the only government in the world that has had the courage and fortitude to face a proper inquiry. I am very proud of the way the government has responded to the findings of the Volcker inquiry.

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