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 Minister for Trade. I refer to a different statement by the minister, made this time to the National Party Central Council in March this year, when in referring to AWB’s payments to Iraq he said: ‘So, if ever there were any kickbacks to the Iraqi grain, then I guess they would’ve ended up with the government. So that is not terribly unusual.’ Does the minister stand by this statement?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not wise to ever take what the honourable member for Griffith says on face value. For instance, he asked me a question just before about what I said on 15 January this year. I have just checked my diary, and I was travelling between Hong Kong and Manila on that day, so it is fairly unlikely that I said what he quoted.

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

AAP, mate.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was travelling between Hong Kong and Manila on that day, so I did not make those statements on that day. He also chooses to take out of context what I said at the National Party conference in Emerald in March this year. Let me make it absolutely clear that in that speech I went to great lengths to emphasise that Australia expects high standards of our businesspeople when they operate overseas. Right at the beginning of that speech I said, ‘We have high business standards and ethics in Australia and even if they are not shared in other parts of the world that does not mean that we should compromise our standards.’ I made it abundantly clear that I expect high standards of Australian businesses.

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

Oh, no you didn’t. One message for the Nats—

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

The member for Griffith is warned!

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commented later that there had been an effort on the part of some to confuse the word ‘commission’ with bribery and corruption and I said that the idea that you could cross out the word ‘commission’ and write in ‘bribery’ or ‘kickbacks’ as though the words are interchangeable is completely unacceptable. Let me make it absolutely clear: I condemned bribery; I condemned kickbacks; I condemned corruption. Commissions are a reasonable part of business activity. I expect all Australian businesses, including the Australian Wheat Board, to behave responsibly and according to Australian law.