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

I refer to the answer just given by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Is the member directing his question to the Deputy Prime Minister?

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

I am—when he said that the UN alone was responsible for approving wheat sales to Iraq. I refer the minister to the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1991, which state:

The minister is responsible for granting permission for trade with Iraq where the minister is satisfied that permitting the exportation would not infringe the international obligations of Australia.

My question to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade is: is it not a fact that the approval power under the Customs regulations 1991 lies with an Australian government minister to issue the export permit and not with the United Nations?

Mark Vaile (Lyne, National Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point that I was making in reference to the question that was last asked by the member for Griffith was that the UN oil for food contracts were the responsibility of the UN’s section 661 sanctions committee. In terms of an export, after the contracts were certified and signed off on by the UN, we issued export permits. We had nothing to do with the pricing of the contracts or the contracts themselves. The UN’s responsibility was the oil for food contracts.