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 Minister for Foreign Affairs, and I refer to the minister’s statement to parliament on 31 October last year that:

As far as the government is aware, the first knowledge of Alia and concerns relating to the AWB’s use of the company was in the context of the Volcker inquiry—

an inquiry which began in April 2004. I also refer to the fact that the minister has confirmed for the first time—yesterday—that he made this statement to parliament in full knowledge of the contents of the cable of 13 January in the year 2000, which warned that the AWB was paying funds into the Jordanian bank account of a company owned by Saddam Hussein’s regime. Minister, why did you mislead the House?

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I clearly say two things. First of all, it is perfectly clear, even from the shadow minister’s question, that I did not mislead the House. More than that, you see, the point I keep making, both yesterday and in the media this morning—

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

Mr Rudd interjecting

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

Order! The member for Griffith has asked his question.

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

is the fact is that at the end of this investigation the United Nations concluded that AWB Ltd had not been doing what had been alleged by the Canadian Wheat Board. But all of this is being considered by the Cole commission and, regardless of what the opposition may say or claim—and they have spent three weeks of parliamentary time talking of nothing else, no doubt to the complete distraction and boredom of the Australian public—the simple fact is that the Cole commission is looking through all of these issues. We have given all appropriate information that the Cole commission has wanted to the Cole commission and we look forward to them completing their hearings and to Commissioner Cole producing his report.