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

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

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

Does the Leader of the Opposition claim to have been misrepresented?

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

Serially, by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

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

Please proceed.

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

Firstly, he characterises my views falsely. My views reflect the now near universal concern amongst American and British generals that we are going down the wrong road. Secondly, he repeats in this place the view that I share the government’s position and view on the possession before the war by Iraq of weapons of mass destruction. It is quite true that we received those briefings and accepted them at face value. Unlike the government, we were not privy to the volume of doubt and uncertainty from the intelligence community around those propositions. We also were not privy to the view the intelligence community presented to the government that going to war might well increase the threat of terror. Nevertheless, though we were not privy to those particular views, we took a different view about what the right course was—

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

Order! The Leader of the Opposition will show where he has been misrepresented.

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

to adopt. I have opposed this war for the last four years. We have been consistent on this side of the House.

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

The Leader of the Opposition has made his point.