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 and Minister for Trade. I refer to my three questions yesterday about when the Deputy Prime Minister first became aware of the contents of the 10 April 2001 cable. Given that the Deputy Prime Minister undertook to check his records, and given he was able to provide a specific answer in relation to another cable yesterday, is the minister today able to answer the question?

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. He might like to listen to the answer. There was a series of questions on cables yesterday and, as he knows, there are probably over 100,000 cables in the system each year. Cables are sometimes brought to the attention of ministers by staff; sometimes ministers are just briefed by staff. Yes, I said I would check my records, and we have no record that it was actually brought to my attention—that it was printed off and presented to me. I have no recollection of personally reading the cable, but certainly I would expect that staff at the time would have brought the general contents of that cable to my attention.

With respect to the subsequent issue, in the assertion being made by the Leader of the Opposition he referred to comments I made, I think on 8 November last year. I refer him to comments I subsequently made on 9 November by way of clarification. Even then the Labor Party were trying to muddy the waters on this issue. I refer him to the answer I gave on the 9th.