Fed: Howard lays blame firmly at AWB's feet

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2006
Fed: Howard lays blame firmly at AWB's feet

By Robin Pash and Maria Hawthorne

CANBERRA, April 18 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard has laid the blame for the Iraq
kickbacks scandal on wheat exporter AWB, saying it set out to deceive the government.

Mr Howard called for commissioner Terence Cole, who is heading the inquiry into $300
million in kickbacks paid by AWB to Saddam Hussein's regime, to be allowed to do his job
and make his own findings.

But the prime minister appeared to ignore his own advice, saying a pattern of AWB deceit
was emerging from the inquiry.

"I believe that it is a pattern of behaviour by AWB, that not only set out to deceive
the government but also set out to deceive the United Nations and indeed many other people
and many other organisations, including a lawyer, a former chief justice of Australia,
who AWB engaged to give an opinion," Mr Howard told Southern Cross Broadcasting.

The prime minister gave evidence to the commission last week for just under an hour,
following Trade Minister Mark Vaile and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer earlier in the
week.

Mr Howard says voters will judge his government's handling of the AWB bribery scandal
at the ballot box, but admits some believe he has lied.

Mr Howard told the inquiry he was never shown 21 diplomatic cables warning that AWB
could be making illicit payments - evidence echoed by Mr Vaile and Mr Downer.

Today, he insisted he told the truth, but said voters would be the ultimate judge.

"In the end, judgments are made by the public at election time on the basis of a performance
in a whole number of areas," he said.

"I've answered questions truthfully. I've explained the position."

Mr Howard was heavily criticised by a talkback caller who said the government's position
on the scandal "doesn't ring true with the average Australian" and accused the prime minister
of cowardice.

"It's a view that some Australians will have, but it's not a view that all Australians
will have," Mr Howard said.

"And in the end I'm accountable at the ballot box, and in the end people will make
a decision based on their assessment of me and the assessment of my government."

Mr Howard also defended Mr Vaile, who told the Cole inquiry 44 times in 90 minutes
of evidence that he could not remember warnings or details about Australia's biggest trade
scandal.

"In some circumstances it is entirely appropriate and completely the truth for somebody
to say I cannot recall, because nobody has an infallible memory," Mr Howard said.

Opposition public accountability spokesman Kelvin Thomson said Mr Downer should be
sacked because he was too gullible for his job.

"Alexander Downer should resign and that would be a very clear statement that the public
is no longer prepared to accept such abysmally low standards of ministerial responsibility
and public accountability," Mr Thomson told reporters in Melbourne.

AAP mfh/sw/evt/sd

KEYWORD: AWB NIGHTLEAD

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