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

My question is to the Prime Minister, and it follows from the one I asked him previously. It goes further to the letter from which I quoted, where Mr Stewart, on behalf of AWB, says:

AWB did not use or make payments to a fictitious transport company. As far as AWB knew, the inland transportation component of its UN approved contracts was legitimate.

Given that this letter was copied to you, Prime Minister—even though you seem to think you have no knowledge of it—and that the materials in it are so demonstrably false in terms of everything that has been presented to the Cole commission and to Volcker’s own inquiries, is there no other person in the grain business capable of conducting this foray to Iraq effectively other than Mr Stewart, who is so deeply compromised by these things?

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

I point out to the Leader of the Opposition that, as of now, as I understand it, there has not been evidence presented which directly contradicts the position taken by Mr Stewart—and he is yet to be given his opportunity. I would have thought that ordinary principles of justice entitle that man to be heard. I thought the Labor Party once stood for ordinary principles of justice. I thought the once-great Australian Labor Party believed in the Aussie fair go. I thought the idea was that you were innocent until you were proven guilty. But apparently the Labor Party does not believe in that.

I am following the evidence that is being presented to the Cole inquiry very closely, but I intend to withhold judgment until that very learned commissioner, widely respected in Australian legal and corporate circles, has brought down his conclusions. I would also remind the Leader of the Opposition that AWB Ltd is a public company. I would remind him that many of the shareholders of AWB Ltd are in fact Australian wheat growers. I would further remind him—

Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Danby interjecting

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

Order! The member for Melbourne Ports is warned!

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

that it is in the interests of Australian wheat growers, being shareholders in AWB Ltd, that the difficult situation in which the company now finds itself is not further aggravated by statements made without any basis in fact. The proper thing to do, the decent thing to do, is the approach that was advocated by a former Labor trade minister before the Senate estimates committee on 23 June 1994—and I refer to the member for Canberra, I think it was; a former trade minister—when he was asked certain questions in relation to an inquiry, believe it or not, into Centenary House. Do you remember that? This is what he had to say:

But this is a matter, I understand, being inquired into by the judicial inquiry and I think it should be left there.

And, properly enough, Senator Kemp, on behalf of the then opposition, said:

I take your point. I am aware that there is a major inquiry—

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. The question was about the delegation going to Iraq and whether in Co-operative Bulk Handling, the Grains Council or somewhere else there is not a person capable—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Leader of the Opposition asked quite a wide-ranging question which covered quite a few areas. The Prime Minister is in order.

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

Brendan Stewart is the executive chairman of AWB Ltd. No adverse findings have been made against him by Commissioner Cole. The commission goes on. AWB Ltd is the holder of the wheat pool. If we are to have a satisfactory outcome for the wheat growers of Australia and not some kind of political hit scored by one side or the other in this parliament, if we are really interested in selling wheat to Iraq, we really do need to have the company that owns the wheat involved in some way. It is in fact quite hard to sell wheat that you do not have.

Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition could sit down and think about that. Here he is, saying: ‘Get the wheat into Iraq. Find our market. Save our farmers.’ In order to do that, you have to at least deal—at a minimum—on a commercial basis with the holder of the wheat. Doesn’t the Leader of the Opposition understand the way in which AWB Ltd is involved? It has acquired the wheat from the wheat growers. Why doesn’t he talk to the member for Hotham? He would tell him. Why doesn’t he talk to Gavvy over there? He would tell him. They know something about primary industry in Australia. The Leader of the Opposition, in order to try and score a political point, is completely losing track of how all this works.

We have an inquiry. Let it get on with its job. In the meantime, let the Deputy Prime Minister lead a delegation to Iraq on behalf of Australian wheat growers.