Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

With respect to the question of possible prosecutions, can I confirm that Commissioner Cole recommended the referral of possible breaches of the law identified in his findings to the appropriate authority for consideration of whether proceedings should be commenced. He recommended the establishment of a joint task force comprising the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIC to consider possible prosecutions in consultation with the Commonwealth DPP and the Victorian DPP. He recommended that administrative responsibility for the conduct of the task force should reside with the Commonwealth Attorney-General.

As recommended and as has been announced, the Commonwealth will establish such a task force to consider possible prosecutions in consultation with the DPP. The Prime Minister is writing to the Victorian Premier to invite the participation of the Victoria Police and the Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions in this process. It is our intention to introduce legislation and seek its passage in this sitting fortnight to facilitate access by the task force to the documents held by the Cole commission. Of course, we are not going to pre-empt the work of the enforcement and investigative agencies by talking about the substance of the matters being referred and in particular by summarising or paraphrasing the report, which may be misleading and may give rise to legal proceedings. So we have adopted the recommendations from Cole with respect to the investigation of possible prosecutions of individuals associated with the oil for food scandal as it is.

The separate question which the senator asks is in relation to the issue of whether the company, AWB, should in the light of all this retain its legislated monopoly over wheat exports. As Senator Murray knows, the Prime Minister has said quite clearly that, as a result of the Cole commission of inquiry, the status quo cannot any longer pertain and that the government will take to the coalition joint party room next Tuesday the government’s proposed approach to the way forward with respect to the marketing of Australia’s wheat and will announce the outcome of its deliberations in due course.