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

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

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

Does the leader claim to have been misrepresented?

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

Grievously.

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

Please proceed.

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

During question time the Minister for Foreign Affairs, I must say, surprised me by saying that somehow I had changed our position on the subject of withdrawal of Australian forces from the southern part of Iraq. He partially read things I had to say about it this morning. What I said this morning is exactly what I have said now for a very considerable period of time. I will quote the whole lot: ‘I’d sit down with the Americans and I’d say, “Okay, the troops are coming out. We’re not going to do it in a way that inconveniences allies,”’ at which point the Minister for Foreign Affairs stopped, but, if he had gone on, he would have read, ‘but they are coming out, and we’ll talk through with them the process by which that would happen,’ and then it would happen.