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

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister. I remind him that Commissioner Cole can find on how Saddam got his money, not on where he spent it. I refer again to his statement yesterday that there is no evidence that any Australian money went to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers or was used in any other way to support military efforts in the region. How can the Deputy Prime Minister assert that there is no evidence, when the Iraq survey group, led by the CIA, and including Australian personnel concluded:

During 1997 to 2003 Saddam generated enough revenue from sources including kickbacks from the UN Oil for Food Program to buy prohibited military goods and equipment.

Hasn’t the Deputy Prime Minister mislead the parliament?

Mark Vaile (Lyne, National Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No.