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

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Minister, given that these cables of 13 and 18 January 2000 were sent to your office, were you personally briefed on them?

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not sure that the last cable was sent to my office; it actually went to Dr Calvert, the secretary of the department. The others would have been sent to my office and of course I would have read them. I have explained already that I was perfectly satisfied with the response of the department to these inquiries.

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

Mr Rudd interjecting

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

Order! The member for Griffith has already been warned!

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point I make about the opposition is this: what we have been able to expose through your questioning today is that we have a completely clear explanation for all of this material. The material has come forward as a result of the Cole inquiry, which we established in order to get to the heart of the matter. And, what is more, if it had not been for the efforts by the government to not only cooperate with Volcker and establish the Cole inquiry but also contribute to the overthrow of Saddam Hussein then the oil for food program would simply be continuing. Cables that are repeated to my office are repeated to my office. Although about 130,000 cables come to my office a year, they are certainly drawn to my attention, particularly ones which have particular significance.