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. I refer to the minister’s statement, supported by the opposition, that the UN Security Council should impose specific sanctions on North Korea. Does the minister recall telling the Cole inquiry in relation to Security Council sanctions against Iraq that he failed to set up any capacity within DFAT to ensure that UN sanctions were complied with and that DFAT did not have any expertise necessary to enforce particular sanctions? Given that the government allowed a $300 million breach of UN sanctions to occur against Iraq, will the minister outline what capacity he has now established within his department to enforce sanctions against North Korea?

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

First of all, as far as the Cole commission and the AWB matter are concerned, I would have thought that the wise thing for anybody to do was to wait until the report was published.

Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Public Accountability and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Kelvin Thomson interjecting

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

Order! The member for Wills!

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

When Commissioner Cole has made up his mind as to what he wants to say and it is published, I think that might be the time to have a debate about the Cole inquiry. As far as the department is concerned, I believe—and I have always said this—that, unlike the opposition, I have not been slagging off at officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Unlike the opposition, I have a lot of respect for the officers of my department.

Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Public Accountability and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Kelvin Thomson interjecting

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

Order! The member for Wills is warned!

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

Unlike the opposition, I know that they are able to do a perfectly competent job.

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 rise on a point of order. My question was what capacity the minister had established in his department to enforce sanctions—

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

The member for Griffith will resume his seat. The minister is entirely in order.