Media Release
5 September 2002
Labor and Iraq
The Opposition Leader Simon Crean has accused the Government of not
sharing information on Iraq.
Today he has said: "The government has kept the issue secret. It's
given this sort of wink and nod - we know what's going on but we are
not going to tell you about it."
Last Thursday the Government arranged a briefing, by the Office of
National Assessments, for Mr Crean and his Foreign Affairs Spokesman,
Kevin Rudd, on the issues of Iraq and People Smuggling. We are always
happy to arrange follow up briefings on such matters.
I have already arranged a very detailed briefing for Government backbenchers
on the Iraq situation. I am arranging, later this month, a briefing
for the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.
Last month I made the following offer to the Labor Party.
".if the members of the Labor Party caucus would like a briefing,
I would obviously be happy to provide one for them." - Minister for
Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, 21/08/02.
Mr Crean and Labor have not taken up this invitation.
In the recent two-week Parliamentary sitting Labor asked 160 Questions
Without Notice in the House of Representatives and the Senate. A mere
eleven of them were about Iraq.
Media inquiries: Chris Kenny (Ministerial) +61 02 6277 7500 / Julie
McDonald (Departmental) +61 02 6261 1555
Local Date: Tuesday, 22-May-2012 07:04:36 EST
