House debates Questions without Notice

Oil for Food Program

Monday, 16 October 2006 House of Representatives

Kim Beazley

Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition

2:36 pm

My question is to the Prime Minister. Wasn’t AWB the single largest supplier of kickbacks to Saddam Hussein under the oil for food program?

Alexander Downer

Alexander Downer Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs

That is why we set up a royal commission.

John Howard

John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister

I think that was the finding of the Volcker inquiry and, as the Minister for Foreign Affairs quite properly interjected, it is the reason we established the Cole inquiry.