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

that is going to encourage the view that the United States will pull out precipitately of Iraq. My criticism of the Leader of the Opposition is that if it is all right for Australia to leave precipitately—although he is now saying he will not leave our ally in the lurch immediately; he will still leave them in the lurch but he will not leave them in the lurch immediately—then why isn’t it all right for the Americans, why isn’t it all right for the British? That is what is at stake here. If it is all right for us to go, it is all right for them to go, and if we go precipitately then that is an unbelievable setback for the West. It is a setback for the Western cause in the Middle East, and it will give great encouragement and succour to the terrorists not only in that region but also in our part of the world. Now, that goes to our national interest and that is why I will not in any way resile from criticising statements that I believe are contrary to that national interest.

See this speech in context