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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware that the US Congressional Committee on International Relations has stated that Palestinian suicide bombers were paid $US25,000 each by Saddam Hussein from the Rafidain Bank in Jordan—the very same bank we now know was used to deposit Australian kickbacks to the Iraqi regime? Can the Prime Minister assure us that no Australian money went to the families of suicide bombers?

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

I am glad the Leader of the Opposition has asked this question, for two reasons. Firstly, it enables me to point out to the parliament that, if the advice of the Leader of the Opposition had been followed, Saddam Hussein would still be financing suicide bombers. That is the first point I would make.

Kim Wilkie (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You should apologise!

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

I will not apologise for that, because it is right. I will apologise for something that I say is wrong but not for something which is right. It was the policy of the Australian Labor Party not to support action to get rid of Saddam Hussein.

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. My colleague called for an apology to the families of Israelis who were killed by suicide bombers, and the Prime Minister gets up and rants at us on that subject. It is outrageous that you would not be prepared to apologise for—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The honourable the Prime Minister is in order.

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

I will apologise for errors for which I am responsible. At no stage did this government ever condone the sort of behaviour alleged by the Leader of the Opposition. He asked me whether I could give a guarantee in relation to Australian money. I point out to the Leader of the Opposition that the money allegedly going to the Iraqi officials was not Australian money; it was in fact the money of Iraq held in escrow by the United Nations. If the allegations are true, it was improperly obtained by the Iraqi government as a result of the—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

While I am on my feet, I will take the opportunity to say something to the House by way of context not only to the questions that have been asked by the opposition but also to questions that will undoubtedly be asked over coming days. Let me just inform the Leader of the Opposition that all of the documents relevant to the matters now being inquired into by the Cole inquiry that are held by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are in the possession of the Cole inquiry. Shortly after it was established, the Cole inquiry sent a group of people to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. They were allowed to inspect all of the department’s documents, and they took away copies of the documents that they wanted.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and International Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This is not a royal court; it is a parliament. He was asked a question, he has not answered it and he is using it to make a ministerial statement.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith will resume his seat. There is no point of order.

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

I thought he would be interested in this, Mr Speaker. I want to inform the parliament that not only does the Cole inquiry have all of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s documents; it has all of the relevant documents from my own department. It also crucially—

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question was explicit: we want to know if the Prime Minister can guarantee us that no money that came through from the Australian end of the program ended up in the hands of the families of the suicide bombers. He has not answered that question—

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is in order.

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

I continue, Mr Speaker. Not only does Cole have all of the DFAT documents and all of the documents of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, but crucially Cole has something that the government did not have and apparently, on the evidence to date, the United Nations did not have—that is, all of AWB Ltd’s documents.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and International Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have read again the Leader of the Opposition’s question. It was simple and to the point. The Prime Minister failed to answer it; he is abusing the forms of the House to make a ministerial statement.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith will resume his seat. Has the Prime Minister finished his answer?

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

Yes.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the honourable member for Kingston.