Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I again repeat that Mr Richardson said a week after AUSMIN, the date on which you claim he briefed the American officials, that we did not consult the United States. Further, he went on to say that 'we did not see a need to'. Given that President Obama has rebuked the Prime Minister for failing to inform the United States about the lease, can you again reconcile why Mr Richardson informed Senate estimates twice that it was not raised, when you are now insisting in this chamber that it was?