(Question No. 5893)
Question
Mr McClelland (Barton) asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in writing, on 31 May 2007:
- (1)
- Does he accept comments made by Commissioner the Hon. Terrence R. H. Cole in the Report of the Inquiry Into Certain Australian Companies in Relation to the Oil for Food Program that: “Although DFAT [Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] did not have any specific investigatory powers conferred on it, one avenue open to it in the event that it received information suggesting a breach or potential breach of sanctions was to request specific information from the relevant exporting company. If the information was not forthcoming, it would be open to the Minister to refuse to grant permission to export or to revoke an existing permission on that basis, that without the information, he could not be satisfied that the exportation would not infringe Australia’s international obligations. This was potentially a powerful threat that could have been effectively used by DFAT in order to investigate allegations had its suspicions been aroused that AWB [Australian Wheat Board] was acting in breach of the United Nations sanctions”.
- (2)
- At any time during the Oil for Food program, was he advised that he should make a specific request for information from AWB; if so (a) who provided the advice and (b) did he act on the advice; if not, has he sought an explanation as to why he was not provided with that advice; and if not, has he held anyone accountable for apparent neglect of duty in not providing such advice.