FED: PM unlikely to reveal much to Cole inquiry - Rudd

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2006
FED: PM unlikely to reveal much to Cole inquiry - Rudd

BRISBANE, April 12 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard's appearance before the Cole inquiry
tomorrow is unlikely to lead to any findings against his ministers, Opposition foreign
affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd says.

The inquiry is investigating almost $300 million in kickbacks paid by wheat exporter
AWB to Saddam Hussein's regime under the United Nations' corrupt oil-for-food program.

But Mr Rudd said the inquiry only has the power to determine if the AWB has committed
criminal offences or not.

"This inquiry has one hand tied behind its back," he told journalists in Brisbane.

Mr Howard will be the first prime minister to appear before a judicial tribunal since
Bob Hawke in 1983.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Trade Minister Mark Vaile appeared before the
inquiry this week to outline what they knew of the payments.

"Let's see what the prime minister says ... when he appears," Mr Rudd said.

"But I've got to say the terms of reference are so stacked that the likelihood of this
commission being able to reach a determination about whether these ministers (Downer and
Vaile) did their job or not are extremely limited."

Mr Rudd said Mr Howard's single defence in the scandal was that of incompetence.

"His government was too incompetent to find out what the AWB was up too and too incompetent
to investigate the allegations about the AWB at the time," he said.

"The key challenge for the PM if he has nothing to hide is to widen the terms of reference
and the powers available."

AAP ch/br

KEYWORD: AWB HOWARD RUDD

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