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

Can I just say to those who sit on the opposition front bench that this is a serious public policy issue. If you want to make a serious contribution to the debate, the first thing that you have got to do is to have the courage to say what you really believe. Don’t hide behind cherry-picking the Baker-Hamilton report, don’t hide behind misrepresenting what the Minister for Foreign Affairs said, don’t hide behind slogans; actually front up to the Australian people and say, ‘I believe that if the Americans were to pull out by March of 2008 then the following would be the consequence.’ I have had the courage to do it; it is about time the Leader of the Opposition did likewise.

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