Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister’s last answer where he conceded that he could not guarantee that the United States would not begin a staged withdrawal following President Bush’s surge strategy in Iraq. Given that another 100 Iraqi civilians will die today, adding to the 61,000 who have died so far following his failed invasion of Iraq, when will the Prime Minister have the courage and decency to admit that he got this war radically wrong from day one?

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

Let me start at the beginning. I believe that the participation of Australia in the coalition back in 2003 was correct. I remind the Leader of the Opposition that he was even more strident than I was in his assertion that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. He was not relying on intelligence when he gave that now famous address—and it is going to become even more famous as time goes by—to the State Zionist Council of Victoria. This is what he had to say:

Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction.

It got even better—

That is a matter of empirical fact. If you don’t believe the intelligence assessments, you simply read the most recent bulletin from the Federation of American Scientists, which lists Iraq among a number of States in possession of chemical, biological weapons and with a capacity to develop a nuclear program.

Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Bowen interjecting

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

Order! The member for Prospect is warned.

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

He actually went further in what he said on weapons of mass destruction than anything I said in the addresses I gave to this parliament or to the National Press Club. Let us understand that, in terms of a motive for opposing Saddam Hussein back in March 2003, the Leader of the Opposition and I were actually in lockstep—he on the basis of scientific evidence and I on the basis of intelligence assessments.

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Swan interjecting

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

Order! The member for Lilley is warned.

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

That is why—

Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Georganas interjecting

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

Order! The member for Hindmarsh is warned too.

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

as I indicated at the time—

Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Labor opposed the war. I ask you to draw him back to the question.

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

The member for Wills will resume his seat. If the member wishes to take a point of order, he will come straight to it; he will not debate it.

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

The Leader of the Opposition asked me whether the original decision was wrong. My answer is: no, it was not wrong. I stand by that decision. I will continue to be accountable for that decision in the bar of public opinion in Australia. I have never hidden from the responsibility for the decision that I took back in 2003 and, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, I have always been prepared to tell the Australian people what I believe will be the consequences of certain actions. The Leader of the Opposition is once again avoiding that responsibility. He asked me about guarantees. Nobody can give ironclad guarantees. Of course they cannot, and he knows that. If you want me to venture a view, I do not believe that, under the current administration or, I would hope, under any other administration, whether it be Republican or Democrat, the Americans will embrace a strategy that leads to defeat. That is the basis for my criticism of what the Leader of the Opposition is saying. He is, in effect, advocating a precipitate coalition withdrawal. It is my belief that sensible counsel will prevail in the United States, because a defeat in Iraq for the United States would be more than bad for the war against terrorism; it would be catastrophic. It would lead to not only a bloodbath in Iraq but the destabilisation of Saudi Arabia and Jordan and the end of any real hope of getting a Palestinian peace settlement. It would also embolden the terrorist cause in our part of the world. I say again to the Leader of the Opposition: why doesn’t he have the courage to tell the Australian people what he genuinely believes will be the consequence of a precipitate coalition withdrawal by March 2008?