Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Ellison. Does the minister recall saying yesterday that AUSTRAC is only able to monitor payments made within Australia and payments coming into and going out of Australia? Is the minister not aware that the Cole commission has already heard evidence that the AWB was channelling money from Australia into a Jordanian bank account? Can the minister explain how his claim yesterday that no money ever went out of Australia can possibly be correct, given evidence before the Cole commission demonstrates that the AWB not only created an account in Jordan but transferred funds from Australia into this account? Doesn’t this transfer of funds from Australia fall squarely and directly within the responsibility of AUSTRAC? Why has the minister, despite being aware of the scandal for over three months, thus far failed to direct AUSTRAC to check the Australian end of Saddam’s money trail?