Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to Senator Abetz, the Minister representing the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Has the minister now been informed that the Chair of the Wheat Export Authority, Mr Tim Besley, has written to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee admitting that he gave misleading evidence at estimates last November? Why did it take three months for Mr Besley to correct the record, when his evidence was so blatantly wrong?

When was the minister first informed that the evidence given by Mr Besley to estimates was incorrect and that the Wheat Export Authority had investigated AWB’s contracts with Iraq and the use of a Jordanian trucking company? What steps did the minister then take to ensure that the record was corrected immediately? Is the minister satisfied that the Wheat Export Authority did all that it could to correct the record, when it must have known that the evidence it gave at estimates was so obviously wrong?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable senator can use rhetorical flourishes to try to beat this issue up but Mr Besley’s letter is somewhat different. In it he refers to ‘factually incomplete’ as opposed to ‘misleading’. There is no doubt that Mr Besley reconsidered his evidence after Senate estimates—and I indicate that all honourable senators know that it is not uncommon for witnesses before Senate estimates or indeed other Senate committees, on reflection, to note that they have given incomplete information.

Robert Ray (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Robert Ray interjecting—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not know how they behaved in the United Nations, Senator Ray, but you should really act in a bit more orderly fashion.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senators on my left! We have just commenced question time. The minister deserves a chance to answer the question.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In relation to the other issues, the government has appointed an inquiry to determine a lot of the factual issues, claims and counterclaims surrounding this issue.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chris Evans interjecting—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Evans is interjecting, but until such time as these things are fully determined, it is inflammatory to use language such as ‘misleading’ as opposed to ‘factually incomplete’—and there are differences in the nuances there. At the end of the day, it will be for the inquiry to make these determinations. I do not, unlike those opposite, seek to set myself up to make the sorts of determinations that they want to.

In relation to when the minister became aware of Mr Besley’s reconsideration of his evidence, that is an appropriate question. I do not know the answer to that. I will take that on notice and find out from the minister when he first became aware of that. In relation to the other matters, I suggest to those on the other side that they take a bit of a cold shower and allow the inquiry to undertake the very important task that it has.

Robert Ray (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You’ve changed the terms of reference again, have you?

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Ray!

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, it is a very sorry sight to see such a demoted former deputy leader in the Senate sitting there acting like Waldorf and Statler, one of the grumpy old men on Labor’s back bench, unable to make a solid contribution to the issues that come before the Senate. All he can do is make his inane interjections.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz, I remind you of the question.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The issues here are serious. They should not be trawled through, as the opposition are seeking to do. It is appropriate that these issues come before an inquiry. That is why we have set up this inquiry. The Prime Minister has already made it clear that, should the commissioner seek that ministers and other people appear then that will occur. The relevant documentation has been put before the commission as well. (Time expired)

Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for belatedly getting back to part of the question. The minister did not advise us what steps the minister took to ensure that the record was corrected immediately, as required, and we have not been told whether the minister is satisfied that the Wheat Export Authority did all that it could to correct the record, when it must have known that the evidence it gave to estimates was so obviously, blatantly and completely wrong, given the letter that was released yesterday.

Why did the minister choose to bluster and obfuscate during question time yesterday? Was Minister Abetz aware of the letter from Mr Besley during question time yesterday? Had he been briefed by Minister McGauran in relation to that letter and his answer in question time yesterday? And is it true that he knew that the AWB sleazy deal had been known to the Wheat Export Authority? Was this simply another effort to cover up the truth or had the minister simply failed to read the brief?

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again we have got the language ‘seeking to cover up the truth’ or ‘giving evidence that they must have known to be wrong’. It seems as though we do not need an inquiry on this because those on the other side have already made all the determinations that are needed. Commissioner Cole does not need to undertake any further investigation because the smart brains of Senator O’Brien and Senator Ray have already determined the state of mind of everybody in this. I have indicated previously that we as a government will cooperate fully with the inquiry. We want to get to the bottom of this. As to when Mr Besley became aware of the factually incomplete evidence that he gave and when the minister found out about that, I have already agreed that I will take that on notice.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call Senator Ferguson, I say to those on my left: when you are asking ministers questions, how can they possibly answer the questions if there is continual noise and interjections from that side? I ask you to consider that before the next question.