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

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. Deputy Prime Minister, are you aware of this report which I have here and which was on the front page of the New York Times in March 2001, three months after your department approved—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

The member for Griffith has made his point.

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

the AWB’s new contract arrangements with Iraq, which quoted diplomats warning:

... the Iraqis add bogus additional charges like “inland transportation” when the goods arrive at ports, or buy goods at inflated prices, often 10 percent or more over the necessary price.

And it went on to list wheat as one specific example. Deputy Prime Minister, if you were not aware of the front page of the New York Times and the warnings that it conveyed—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Deputy Prime Minister, if you were not aware of this warning from the New York Times, being warning No. 14 to your government about concerns over kickbacks in the oil for food program, what warning would it have taken to have prevented your government from acting on this $300 million ‘wheat for weapons’ scandal?

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

I am not aware of the article that the member for Griffith refers to. I do read some international papers, but I cannot recall reading that particular edition.

Just as a general point to the member for Griffith: right through this debate, when allegations and assertions have been made, the government has made inquiries, got the information and taken it back to the UN. The UN Security Council 661 committee, which had responsibility for the certification of these contracts, every time continued to certify those contracts and those contracts continued to be operated on.