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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, who made the decision to gag officials from answering Senate estimates questions about the ‘wheat for weapons’ scandal? Was it a decision of cabinet, senior ministers or the Prime Minister personally? When the decision was made, was it conveyed to officials orally or in writing? When was the decision made?

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

Let me inform the Leader of the Opposition that this was a decision of cabinet, and it is an entirely proper decision. Let me also remind the Leader of the Opposition that way back in 1989—and I wonder who was the Prime Minister then, and who was a senior minister—there was a decision taken by the cabinet that officials in an entire department could not answer any questions on a subject called ‘Coronation Hill’, not because there was a royal commission into Coronation Hill but simply because the matter was subject to cabinet consideration.

Let me tell the Leader of the Opposition and, through him, the Australian people that we have a commission with royal commission powers looking into every aspect of this matter, and it is entirely appropriate that public servants be allowed to appear before that commission. They will be allowed; they will not be hindered. The decision taken by the government, by the cabinet, is entirely proper and indeed not out of line with the spirit of decisions taken by the former government of which the gentleman who has just asked me the question was a senior member.