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

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and refers to his revelation last night that the Australian Federal Police are investigating a possible breach of UN sanctions concerning an Iraqi oil import. Is the minister aware that the vessel Poul Spirit arrived in Fremantle in October 2000 from Umm Qasr in Iraq and discharged its cargo of 90 million litres of Iraqi crude petroleum? Did the minister approve the import as he is required to by Customs regulation 4QA? If so, when, and what steps did he take to ensure this import was in compliance with the UN oil for food program?

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

As I explained to the House last night, if there has been any breach of the Australian regulations or the UN sanctions then that is a matter to be investigated by the Australian Federal Police. I am not going into the details of what it is—I do not want to compromise the inquiry. The Labor Party making a political point is fair enough, I suppose, to compromise the inquiry, is it? Only a fool would compromise the inquiry. I am not proposing to do that and I am not going into any of the details in relation to that particular investigation. It is a matter for the Federal Police.