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 again to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister inform the House what responsibility Mr Flugge and Mr Long, representatives of the Howard government on the Coalition Provisional Authority, had in providing advice to the CPA on the September 2003 US Department of Defense report into the misuse of the oil for food program which required ‘additional documentation from suppliers for all potentially overpriced contracts’?

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

I will be very happy to see if I can provide the honourable gentleman with any information in relation to that question. I must confess my inadequacy, in that I do not carry all of that minute detail around in my head. I lack the honourable gentleman’s soaring capacity to do that. But I will do my best to find out.

What I do happen to have, not in my head but in my hand, is a press release dated 20 August 2002. It was issued by the shadow minister for foreign affairs. It is headed ‘2003 Wheat sales to Iraq’. It says:

The Federal Opposition welcomes the announcement by the Australian Wheat Board on the likely resumption of Australian wheat sales to Iraq in 2003.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order which goes to relevance. The Prime Minister has been asked a very simple and clear question which goes to—

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

The member for Grayndler will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is in order. I call the Prime Minister.

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

Let me repeat:

The Federal Opposition welcomes the announcement by the Australian Wheat Board on the likely resumption of Australian wheat sales to Iraq ...

He then goes on to say:

The Opposition congratulates the AWB for achieving a commercial outcome in the midst—

listen to this—

of the difficult foreign policy environment, which had been delivered to them by Foreign Minister Downer.

There is an old saying which I am sure the member for Griffith would be aware of, and that is: would that my enemy would write a book. Let me vary it to say: would that the shadow minister would put out a statement.

Kim Wilkie (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That’s just as obscene as Truss’s tie!

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

The member for Swan is warned!