House debates Questions without Notice
Oil for Food Program
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
3:00 pm
Mr Speaker, my question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, how do you sleep at night after your neglect—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Government Members:
Government members interjecting—
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
meant that Australian money bought the bullets fired at our brave soldiers on your incompetent watch?
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Government Members:
Government members interjecting—
David Hawker Speaker
Order! Members on my right! The Leader of the Opposition will repeat his question.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
That was the question, Mr Speaker, and he heard it.
David Hawker Speaker
I ask the Leader of the Opposition to repeat his question.
Kim Beazley Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition
Prime Minister, how do you sleep at night after your neglect meant Australian money bought the bullets fired at our brave soldiers on your incompetent watch?
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Like any other person who holds high office, there are occasions when I do not sleep as well as I might otherwise because there are things on my mind. That is a perfectly normal thing, and I thank the Leader of the Opposition for asking me the question. In relation to the war in Iraq, the House is aware that the positions of the government and the opposition on this issue have been very different. I have pointed out in the last couple of days, and this question gives me an opportunity to point out again, that the Leader of the Opposition was less than enthusiastic in his endorsement of the Labor Party’s position three years ago. He was not on the front bench. He believed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and three years ago he was a classic fence sitter. It is now opportunistic for him to parade his credentials as having always been a devoted opponent.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House
Ms Gillard interjecting
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
He claims that in some way this government connived, allowed and was neglectful, which led to bullets being purchased with Australian money. I would remind the Leader of the Opposition that it was not Australian money—
Michael Danby Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party
Mr Danby interjecting
John Howard Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
but it was money that came out of the escrow account of the United Nations. It was money that ultimately belonged to the people of Iraq. It was not Australian money. So much is the Leader of the Opposition not on top of the facts of this debate that he even makes that fundamental mistake.
As the Leader of the Opposition in a confected display of indignity winds himself up for yet another censure motion, the allegation made by the Leader of the Opposition that we turned a blind eye and allowed bullets to be purchased that might have been used against Australian soldiers is a contemptible claim. Even the opposition leader, in his embattled status, knows that that is a contemptible claim.