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

My question is again to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer to the statement overnight by the Republican head of the US Senate inquiry investigating corruption under the UN oil for food program, Senator Coleman, that the US Senate would now reopen its investigation into AWB’s dealings with Iraq and in Senator Coleman’s words:

Another major concern is whether Australian officials were less than honest. We will examine the report to ensure that no one lied to this subcommittee.

Will the minister guarantee to the Australian parliament that when Australian officials told the US Senate in September-October 2004 that the Australian government rejected the allegations against the AWB entirely and unequivocally dismissed the allegations concerning the AWB those officials did not mislead the US Senate?

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