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

It is in the nature of Australian politics, as it should be, that the head of government ultimately is accountable for the overall performance of the government. I have never sought to evade that responsibility. What is more, on three occasions since the initial election in March 1996, which was in part at least a judgement on the performance of the former government, the Australian people have made a judgement. And when the election is next held they will have an opportunity to make a judgement about this government and also about the performance of the alternative government.

I did not have the opportunity of seeing Senator Vanstone on The 7.30 Report but I am told that her performance took its customary feisty style. I want to say that I greatly respect the doggedness, the sagacity and the energy of Senator Vanstone. But you have asked me a question really about the Ombudsman’s report, because what triggered all of this was the report of the Ombudsman, Professor McMillan. I am rather glad the member for Swan has asked me this because later in the evening, after I had the opportunity of having a bit of social discourse with my colleagues on the government front bench, I was still perfectly able and ready to watch Lateline. It is my wont to watch Lateline quite a bit. I often see my colleagues on Lateline and they perform very well; the foreign minister, for example, is a regular appearer on Lateline.

There was one very, very interesting comment that was made by Professor McMillan when he was interviewed, and it rather blows out of the water everything that the opposition has been saying about the government in relation to this matter. He had this to say:

There was no evidence in the cases that I’ve examined of any political pressure that led to deficient decisions.

Here is the independent man, the person appointed as the keeper of the public interest. And bear in mind that all of these cases were referred to him by the minister, arising out of the Palmer inquiry. We send them all off to the Ombudsman, he has a look at them and he says, contrary to what the opposition—

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