Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Trade and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is a follow-up to the Prime Minister’s last answer and it obviously goes to him. If he takes the issue of equine influenza so seriously, when will he familiarise himself with a brief involving the handling and warnings as to the adequacy of the quarantine regime in the recent crisis?

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

I continue to believe that the member for Hotham is serious about this matter. I participated in the announcement of a full inquiry with the powers of a royal commission to be carried out by the former Justice of the High Court Ian Callinan QC. I would have thought that was done in a completely transparent manner with no holds barred. People are required to give evidence and people are required to put documents before the inquiry to get to the bottom of it.

When you establish an inquiry, you do not double-guess the inquiry. You let the inquirer get on with his job. If Mr Callinan finds that there has been some failure by the Commonwealth or by some officer of the Commonwealth, in his fearless, independent way, he will report. Given the fact that we have appointed him so quickly and given him the powers we have, I am astonished at the member for Hotham. What are you getting at? I am quite astonished at what the member for Hotham has asked. Here we have a minister doing his job. He understands the industry. He looks after the strappers, the jockeys’ assistants and the bookies’—

Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not the bookies, no!

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

Not the bookies, no. But the bookies’ clerks have got a bit of a worry. Will you have a look at them?

Peter McGauran (Gippsland, National Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Okay. I will have a look at them.

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

He looks after all of those people. And here we have the member for Hotham asking: ‘Why don’t you have an inquiry?’ Really, you ought to read your brief.