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

My further question to the Prime Minister is: didn’t the CIA find that Saddam Hussein used illegal kickbacks under the oil for food program to buy military goods and equipment?

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

It was quite obvious that the oil for food program was shamefully rorted by Saddam Hussein’s regime. It is also obvious that, if Saddam’s regime had not been overthrown, we would never have got to the bottom of the rorting of the oil for food program. It is also the case that the only government in the world that has had the courage to establish a proper inquiry—

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 that goes to relevance. Did the CIA find that fact or not? I mean, going to war in order to investigate AWB—fair dinkum!

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

The Prime Minister has barely begun his answer. He is in order.

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

The only government in the world that faced the full impact of having a proper royal commission style inquiry into the oil for food scandal is the government that I lead. I am precluded from saying anything about the processes of the royal commission until the royal commissioner brings down his findings on 24 November. Then we will know the considered findings by Mr Terence Cole, a very eminent Australian lawyer. But until then I am not going to comment on what he may or may not find. But I will say this: the government I lead is the only government in the world that established a full, transparent inquiry. It is the only government in the world whose ministers appeared and answered questions under oath. It is the only government in the world that has had the courage and fortitude to face a proper inquiry. I am very proud of the way the government has responded to the findings of the Volcker inquiry.