Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. We will get back to uncovering this scandal. I refer to the statement from the minister’s office last night that the 2004 confidential report from the Wheat Export Authority to him contained details of AWB payments of transport fees to a Jordanian trucking company. I also refer to the fact that the minister’s statement contradicts the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s answer to the House on 8 December last year:

... those confidential reports to the minister for agriculture ... do not contain the sort of information implied in the honourable member’s question.

Why didn’t the minister take steps under the ministerial code of conduct to correct this mislead as soon as possible? Why did he turn a blind eye?

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