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 answer to the previous question from the member for Barton, where the Prime Minister stated for the first time that the government has in place a contingency plan for the phased withdrawal of Australian forces from Iraq.

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

No, I didn’t!

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! Members on my right!

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

Referring to the previous question by the member for Barton—which asked, ‘Does the Prime Minister have a similar contingency plan of phased withdrawal in place for Australian forces?’—the Prime Minister’s response was yes, he did. My question to the Prime Minister is: what is that plan?

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

I was asked, if my memory serves me correctly, whether I was aware of an American plan and I said yes and that it is normal to have a contingency plan. The Leader of the Opposition is misrepresenting what I said.