Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Anymore, that is. That was pre Cole, but I must say—and the minister should know this—that it is getting harder to remain a pure supporter of the single desk, with the devastating effects of the Cole inquiry on the integrity of the AWB. And there is more to play out on that.

As I say, it is due to the Cole commission of inquiry that these changes have been brought in. Things can simply not stay the change. From the time the Volcker inquiry was handed down, the government has acted speedily and vigorously to expose the truth of the corruption that occurred between the AWB and the then Iraqi regime. We are determined to implement the findings and recommendations of the Cole commission of inquiry. What is being acted out today is a consequence of that culture and that behaviour, and the government has no choice but to make that decision and does not flinch from doing so. I regret that I only have the time allocated to me, but it is for those reasons that I fully support the bill before the Senate.