Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister, and it is also on the question of national security. I refer to the Prime Minister’s various answers both yesterday and today on the consequences of our different policies on Iraq. As this is a matter of national importance which goes to our country’s future, will the Prime Minister now accept an invitation from me to a nationally televised debate?

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! The Leader of the Opposition deserves to be heard when he is asking his question. He will be heard or I will take action.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As this is a matter of national interest which goes to our country’s long-term future, will the Prime Minister now accept an invitation from me to a nationally televised debate within the next month, at a time and place of the Prime Minister’s choosing, on the future direction of Australia’s policy in Iraq?

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

If the Leader of the Opposition wants to go and address a meeting, he can do so.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The Leader of the Opposition has asked a serious question. The Prime Minister is answering it. He will be heard.

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

If the Leader of the Opposition wants to address anybody anywhere in Australia, he is free to do so. He can ask me any question he likes any time this parliament sits. But I think he would bring a little more credit to this debate—

Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Ripoll interjecting

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

Order! The member for Oxley is warned!

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

and a little more credit to his own position if he would have the courage to answer the question that was put to him by Marius Benson on Radio National this morning.

Julia Irwin (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mrs Irwin interjecting

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

Order! The member for Fowler is warned!

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

All of this debate about the respective positions of the government and the opposition on Iraq arises from the fact that I made some very critical comments of a position taken.

Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Prime Minister was asked whether he was going to debate—

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

The member for Wills will come to his point of order.

Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

or whether he was going to cut and run. I ask you to draw him back—

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

The member for Wills will resume his seat. That is not a point of order. If the member for Wills continues to take those points of order, I will deal with him. The Prime Minister is in order.

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

It all started when the Leader of the Opposition took exception to the answer to a question that I gave on the Sunday program. Ever since then, I have been attacked by the Leader of the Opposition for the views I expressed on the consequences of a coalition withdrawal from Iraq by March 2008.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! The Prime Minister has the call.

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

That is meant to be—

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Gillard interjecting

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

Order! The Deputy Leader of the Opposition is warned!

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

the central issue of this debate. That is meant to be what this difference is all about. The Australian public knows my position; the Australian public does not know the position of the Leader of the Opposition.

Warren Snowdon (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Snowdon interjecting

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

Order! The member for Lingiari will remove himself under standing order 94(a). The Prime Minister has the call and the Prime Minister will be heard.

The member for Lingiari then left the chamber.

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

Let me tell the House again:

BENSON: If the United States did withdraw all its troops from Iraq—

Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Kate Ellis interjecting

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

Order! The member for Adelaide will remove herself under standing order 94(a).

The member forAdelaide then left the chamber.

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

Marius Benson asked:

If the United States did withdraw all its troops from Iraq as Barack Obama advocates, what do you think would happen in Iraq?

I have told the Australian people what I think would happen. The Leader of the Opposition does not have the courage to do the same thing. The Leader of the Opposition attacked me for the position that I have taken—

Kim Wilkie (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Wilkie interjecting

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

Order! The member for Swan is warned!

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

on US troop withdrawal, yet he does not have the courage to tell the Australian people—

Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Trade and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Crean interjecting

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

Order! The member for Hotham is warned!

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

what he believes would be the consequence of an American withdrawal. I speculate that the reason that he does not have the courage to answer that question is that he knows in his heart that the answer I have given is correct. He knows in his heart that I am right on the consequences of a coalition troop withdrawal. He knows that the national intelligence assessment is correct. He knows that Iraq would descend into full-scale civil war.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I draw your attention to standing order 104 on relevance. It is a very specific question. Can we take it the answer is no?

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

The member will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is entirely in order.

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

He knows in his heart that all of the consequences that I have spelt out would be fulfilled. That is why he does not have the courage to answer that simple question. He was asked twice by Marius Benson, and he completely ducked the question on both occasions. We have had an extraordinary spectacle for the last two days. The main subject of—

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Bird interjecting

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

Order! The member for Cunningham is warned!

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

political debate in this country has been the criticism of my assessment of what would happen if American troops were withdrawn. I have to cop that criticism because I have had the courage to state my view.

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Bird interjecting

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

Order! The member for Cunningham will remove herself under standing order 94(a). The Prime Minister has been asked a serious question. He will be heard.

The member for Cunningham then left the chamber.

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

For the last two days the major topic of political debate in this country has been the stance that I have taken on the consequences of an American withdrawal from Iraq. I have been prepared to answer that question, I have been willing to cop the criticism of the position that I have taken, but my opposite number in this place does not have the courage to answer that simple question. The reason that he does not have the courage—

Julia Irwin (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: it is quite obvious that the Prime Minister does not have the courage to debate the Leader of the Opposition—

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

The member for Fowler will resume her seat.

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

On two occasions this morning on national radio the Leader of the Opposition was asked to state his assessment of what would happen if US troops were withdrawn from Iraq in March next year, and on both occasions he ducked the question. I do not know the inner man but I speculate—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: this is a very simple question. Will the Prime Minister debate the Leader of the Opposition or not?

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Prime Minister is entirely relevant to the question and he is in order.

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

On two occasions the Leader of the Opposition was asked a simple question. He was asked a question on the subject matter which has been central to all the criticism that he and others have made of me over the last two days. I have endured that criticism. I have been attacked in this country in the media and by the opposition. Why? Because I have stated an honest position and a strongly held belief about the consequences of what would happen.

Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Vamvakinou interjecting

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

Order! The member for Calwell is warned!

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

Yet my opposite number, who has orchestrated and led that criticism, when asked the same question does not have the guts to give an answer.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ms Hall interjecting

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

The member for Shortland is warned!