Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. I refer to the minister’s reckless negligence in the administration of his portfolio and his turning of a blind eye to at least 13 warnings about AWB kickbacks, resulting in serious damage to the livelihoods of Australian wheat farmers. Will the Deputy Prime Minister now take responsibility for hurting our Aussie wheat farmers? Will he now apologise to these farmers and their families, who are paying the price for his incompetence?

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

Order! In calling the Deputy Prime Minister, I remind the Leader of the Opposition that that question contained arguments, epithets and a few other things going to standing order 100. Nonetheless, I will let the question stand, but I would ask future questioners to remember those points.

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

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question and absolutely reject any notion of recklessness or any other adjective you might like to apply to the way the government has conducted affairs on behalf of Australian wheat growers for the duration of its time in office. From the outset the government has been very diligent in ensuring that Australian wheat growers’ interests have been looked after every inch of the way as far as this issue is concerned. The current circumstances—and I presume the Leader of the Opposition is referring to a decision announced yesterday—are regrettable, and the government will make representations to the Iraqi government on the decision that was taken yesterday. As far as this whole process is concerned, every time there has been an allegation raised we have pursued it and resolved it. The UN from start to finish have certified every single contract, and this government has done everything it possibly can to look after the interests of Australia’s wheat growers.

John Forrest (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister’s attention been drawn to an apparent decision of the Iraqi Grains Board to suspend trading with AWB Ltd pending the outcome of the Cole inquiry? What information can the Prime Minister provide to the House and to the many wheat growers in Mallee on this matter?

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

I thank the member for Forrest for the question. Yes, of course my attention has been drawn to the reported decision of the Iraqi Grains Board, and I share the concern expressed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade. I can inform the House of one or two quite important things. Earlier today I had a telephone conversation with the Chairman of AWB Ltd, Mr Brendan Stewart, regarding the current tender for wheat in Iraq. I naturally canvassed with him the reported decision of the Iraqi Grains Board and I also had the conversation against the background of the current provisions of the legislation governing the export of Australian wheat, which confer a monopoly on AWB Ltd. We have arranged to meet tomorrow in Canberra. He will be accompanied by the acting managing director of AWB Ltd, and the matter will be discussed.

I know the member for Forrest, who is a champion of the Australian wheat industry, as indeed are other members—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Did I say the member for Forrest? I apologise. I thought I was talking about the member for Lindsay, Mr Herbert! I apologise for that slip. I meant to say the member for Mallee, who is a great member for a great wheat-growing district of Australia and a passionate advocate for the interests of Australian wheat growers—as indeed are the member for Grey, the member for O’Connor, the member for Barker, my good friend the member for Gwydir, the member for Riverina, the member for Maranoa and so the list goes on. So too is the member for New England; they grow a bit of wheat there as well.

Let me return to the essential grain of the question that was asked by the member for Mallee. I think the House is aware of the provisions of the existing legislation, and that legislation provides effectively a monopoly unless consent is given by AWB Ltd. On AWB Ltd, I will discuss all aspects of this issue with Mr Stewart tomorrow and that discussion will take place against a very simple proposition: our primary concern is the interests of the Australian wheat growers. The Australian wheat growers’ best friends in this parliament are the Liberal and National parties. Let that be very clearly understood.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order on relevance. With friends like them, do they need enemies?

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

Order! The Prime Minister is in order.

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

I also take the opportunity of saying a couple of things. Inevitably, this issue has raised some debate in the Australian community about the question of a single desk in relation to the sale of Australian wheat. That is an issue which has attracted debate on both sides of the argument. Let me say that it remains the government’s policy to support the existing provisions. There would need to be a very strong national interest case in order to alter that. What we are considering now has to be looked at in isolation from the question of whether that remains an ongoing policy or not. I do not want anything that is said or done in the next little while to be seen to pre-empt a proper and careful consideration of that issue.

I also remind the House of virtually a throwaway line. I have listened to the remarks of the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Griffith. I recall, as many on this side of the House recall, back in 2002. Do you know what the advice of the member for Griffith was—that the government, when it came to Iraq and wheat, should get out of the way and leave it all to AWB.

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 directed to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade. I refer to his statement to parliament on 7 December last year when he said:

All the information that we had was provided to the Volcker inquiry.

Is the Deputy Prime Minister aware that the Wheat Export Authority CEO, Mr Taylor, has just told a Senate estimates committee, ‘The Wheat Export Authority did not provide any information directly through DFAT to the Volcker inquiry.’ Deputy Prime Minister, is this a fact?

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

As to my comments back then, I will need to check those rather than just taking for granted what the member for Griffith alleges. I will check those comments. My comments would have been related to the official documents held by DFAT on this matter.

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

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order under the standing orders on relevance. The question was about whether—

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

Order! The member will resume his seat. The minister has completed his answer.