Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

First of all, I thank the honourable member for his question. I was going to make a personal explanation about this in any case at the end of question time, in response to an article along the lines of that question in the Australian Financial Review today, written by Mr John Kerin. I was asked a series of questions—which I am sure honourable members opposite would like to hear about—in one question by the member for Griffith on 31 October, and I gave a very comprehensive, although somewhat interrupted, answer. In response to that question, I said exactly this:

As far as the government is aware, the first knowledge of Alia and concerns relating to the AWB’s use of the company was in the context of the Volcker inquiry.

That is exactly right. The issue of the cables to which the honourable member refers, by the way, had been the subject of discussion and debate in the House on 3 November 2005 and in the Senate estimates committee on the same day. The opposition subsequently, this week, came into the House waving around these cables, trying to convince people up in the press gallery that there is something new here which had not been discussed right here on the floor of this chamber on 3 November.

What this episode shows is exactly what I have argued in question time over the last year—that is, the Leader of the Opposition does not do his homework, is not forensic, has not followed the issue and makes a series of empty, blustering allegations which are not based on the facts. The fact is: what I said on 31 October, I absolutely stand by.

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