Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to 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?

Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice and Customs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can tell the Senate that AUSTRAC is assisting the Cole inquiry. It has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cole inquiry to provide that assistance, so that answers the first question. That is what AUSTRAC doing. The second part of the question represents a total misunderstanding of the answer that I gave yesterday. That was that payments made overseas—not payments taken out of Australia but payments made in foreign jurisdictions—do not fall within the jurisdiction of AUSTRAC. Of course payments which are made into Australia and out of Australia and domestically within Australia fall within AUSTRAC’s jurisdiction. AUSTRAC is assisting the inquiry and has signed a memorandum of understanding.

What the people of Australia should realise is that, in this beat-up that the opposition are engaging in, they are hurting Australian wheat growers by the sensationalism. It is the Australian wheat growers who will suffer at the end of the day. What people have to remember when the opposition criticise the government in relation to the Cole inquiry is that, if they had their way, Saddam Hussein would still be in power. That is what people should remember. We remain resolute, as we have said time and time again, that the Cole inquiry should take its course, and we will provide every assistance to it, which we are doing.

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister tell the Senate, which he failed to do yesterday, when the memorandum by AUSTRAC was signed and what the width and breadth of that memorandum was—to which points it went? Can the minister explain to the parliament why he failed to act? Is it because he was not across his brief, or did he fail to act because he was protecting his Liberal mates? Will the minister now act within his department and AUSTRAC to investigate the Australian money trail?

Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice and Customs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have answered the question. AUSTRAC is assisting. If the memorandum of understanding is available for tabling, I will table it. It has been signed between AUSTRAC and the inquiry and, if Mr Cole is agreeable, I will table it.