Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, my question is to the Prime Minister and it follows the first question I asked him, about the changing views of President Bush. Has he seen an article by Paul Kelly, where Mr Kelly says:

In Iraq the fix is coming. The policy will have to change. Only the politically deaf can miss the drumbeat of change in America. It is concealed now because of Bush’s need to hang tough for the mid-term election.

Further, has the Prime Minister seen, and does he agree with, the United States President’s statement on current coalition policy on Iraq:

My attitude is: don’t do what you’re doing if it’s not working—change.

Prime Minister, isn’t it the plain truth that when you are in a hole you should stop digging?

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

The answer to the first question is: yes. The answer to the second question is: I have heard a lot of statements made by President Bush about Iraq and the one chosen by the Leader of the Opposition does not fairly reflect his view.