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

If the Leader of the Opposition is wanting to make a constructive contribution to the debate, he should address his central responsibility, and that is to tell the Australian people what he honestly believes will be the consequences of a precipitate coalition withdrawal by 2008, next year. That is really what this all revolves around. This latest rekindling of the debate in the parliament on Iraq started because I was criticised for responding to a view about withdrawal by 2008. I have said what I think; I have told the Australian people. I have been criticised—an attempt was made to censure me by the Leader of the Opposition; I have been criticised in sections of the Australian media, not by all of it but most of it—but that is the consequence of taking a stand.

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