John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The government’s decision to establish the inquiry was in response to a request from the Secretary-General of the United Nations to, where appropriate, act against companies falling within their jurisdiction. What we have done is to establish an inquiry to determine whether there has been any illegal behaviour by the companies named in the Volcker inquiry. Plainly, the commissioner is investigating those matters and, plainly, the commissioner has said that, if he came across material that suggested that people, including ministers—I repeat: people, including ministers—had behaved illegally, he would ask for an extension of the terms of reference. The government regards that as an entirely appropriate situation. It is exactly what we were asked to do and it is what we ought to allow the commissioner to determine.

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