Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 27 March, Senator Faulkner asked me about the Prime Minister’s response to the Iraqi casualty figures published in the Lancet and the public comments made by some members of the United Kingdom Civil Service. In a supplementary question, he asked about intelligence assessments and advice provided to the government about Iraqi civilian casualties.

The government receives, from intelligence and other sources, a wide range of Iraqi related information including estimates on casualties, mainly military casualties, resulting from insurgent and other activities. The government does not comment on classified reporting. I am advised that the US government has not produced an estimate of total civilian casualties in Iraq since coalition military action commenced in March 2003. I am advised that no assessment on the number of Iraqi civilian casualties has been commissioned by the Prime Minister, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet or the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The government remains satisfied with the information provided to it regarding the situation in Iraq by agencies, including the Office of National Assessments and the Defence Intelligence Organisation.