Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to take note of answers given today by Minister Minchin about the Howard government’s disgraceful handling of the AWB wheat for weapons scandal. What a pathetic performance it was. It is clear to me that the minister is still shaken by the heated meeting in the government party room yesterday and that his nerves have not quite recovered. You can understand why his nerves would be so shaken, given the considerable tension within the government ranks over this issue.

On the front page of the Australian newspaper today is an article telling us that Mr Alby Schultz MP launched into an expletive-laden attack on Senator Joyce in which he is reported to have told Senator Joyce that he had ‘slit the throats of better animals than you’. Though, to be fair, the West Australian reported that Mr Schultz said that he had ‘cut’ the throats of animals worth more than Senator Joyce. It is possible that in their haste to spill their guts to the media the National Party leakers may have got the exact wording of the exchange mixed up. The report then went on to say that Senator Joyce offered to take the conversation with Mr Schultz outside, until that renowned gentleman and peacemaker, Senator Heffernan, intervened. I have to be honest with you: for what it is worth, I would have had my money on Senator Joyce. After all, you can imagine that Senator Joyce is a bit sensitive about the prospect of so many of his National Party stooge mates facing jail.

Once upon a time in WA we used to call crooks ‘colourful Sydney racing identities’. I think a better name nowadays could possibly be ‘disgraced, failed Nationals candidates’. There is gun-toting Trevor Flugge, former director and chairman of AWB, who was paid over $900,000 out of the AusAID budget for a few months work in Iraq. He is a former National Party candidate. There is Darryl Hockey, AWB’s government relations manager, who is a former adviser to the last National Party leader, the member for Gwydir. They are part of the dirty dozen. They all have deep National Party ties, and what a pack of crooks they are. But do not take my word for it. The member for O’Connor had this to say:

If our side—

and by that I think he means the Liberals and not their coalition partners, The Nationals—

is guilty of anything, it’s of trusting a mob of agri-politicians—all of which have close connections with the National Party.

There you go. I would not have a clue what is up with these right-wing numpties who like to travel around the Middle East toting their guns and getting their photos taken. It is a shame that Senator Lightfoot has left the chamber, because I would like to hear his response to that. He may be able to inform us at a later date.

What the Cole inquiry uncovered was a systematic failure by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for which its minister, Alexander Downer, must take primary responsibility. You can imagine the likes of Mr Downer’s grandfather, one-time Senator Sir John Downer, being somewhat disappointed at his grandson’s cavalier disregard for the Westminster doctrine of ministerial accountability. Sorry for bringing up such an archaic concept. I know it has been a long time since senators in this place have seen this doctrine in action. Foreign Minister Downer’s grandfather may have told him that the doctrine of ministerial responsibility is important because it motivates ministers to closely scrutinise the activities within their departments. They probably even taught Foreign Minister Downer about it at Radley College.

But, sadly, this idiot son of the aristocracy has no regard for the Westminster doctrine of ministerial accountability, despite the fact that he was the decision maker responsible for approving 41 AWB contracts with Iraq over a five-year period. Under the Customs regulations, Mr Downer was required to satisfy himself and to certify that exports to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq did not breach Australia’s obligation to uphold UN sanctions against the regime. He did not, and now he wants an apology. Boo-hoo! Foreign Minister Downer should be the one to apologise. He should apologise to Australia’s wheat farmers, who have lost valuable markets because of his incompetence. He should apologise to Australian taxpayers, who subsidised AWB’s $290 million kickback to Saddam Hussein’s regime to the tune of $90 million. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.