Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The minister has avoided answering the question. Can the minister say, and give an absolute guarantee, that he has checked with AUSTRAC and that he has checked whether or not any payments have been made in or out of this country by AWB or affiliated companies? Or is it the case that that just demonstrates another complete and utter failing by this government in checking its records and that it is playing the old blind trick again? Isn’t AUSTRAC, as the minister knows, supposed to be one of Australia’s prime mechanisms in the fight against both money laundering and terrorist financing and shouldn’t it at least be consulted or checked?