Yes Wre we have noticed that the other countries from the Volker enquiry haven't launched investigations but can't you see that was Little Johnnies plan... that has now backfired.

Do you really think he would have launched this enquiry if he knew what was coming out. That's the problem when you run a "Yes Minister" style of Govt that is probably using plausible deniability as it's cover.

All it takes is a staffer to spread around that "if some allegation is proven correct or is correct then don't tell the Minister or his management team and there you have it. Plausible deniability set up in a sentence.

"We didn't know they claim." Nobody told us.

The grilling those poor AWB people got from the Wheat Export Board investigators was really tough : Scroll down this page and see the answers Tim Besley from the Wheat Export Authority gave to the senate enquiry. http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1570930.htm

So now you want to blame the ALP for the problems that are being caused. As I have said in other posts ... That is what oppositions do... they ask lots of questions and if they didn't they wouldn't be oppositions they'd be knodding dogs.

The AWB has caused this situation and it looks like the Govt and it's agencies didn't properly investigate matters when they were presented to them. Whichever way you cut it the situation is not a good one...

But stop blaming the opposition for doing it's job!! Our Democracy depends on it! And when the Libs are next in opposition they will do exctly the same thing as Labor and they will be right to do it... it will be ther job!

AMSADL,Opinionated2,
I think you have the arguement by the short and curlies, great posts,
Regards,Shaun

An interesting article, but an atrocious opening to the comments posted by wre.
If I'm not mistaken, the Cole enquiry has uncovered what appears to be a systematic, continuous pattern of illegal behaviour. And what was wre's response?
Welcome to the jungle, baby.
If you've got the money, honey, we've got your disease.

That illegality exists in international trade is irrelevant.

What is relevant is that possible illegal conduct by an Australian body has been uncovered. It should be thoroughly investigated and, if warranted, charges should be laid. That the same does or does not happen in similar situations in other countries is not relevant to the AWB investigation.

It is the role of the Australian Government to bring diplomatic pressure on other countries to investigate claims concerning the conduct of companies registered in their jurisdiction. Jump up and down about it. Shout to the tree tops. The Australian Government should be commended for bringing about this investigation, and those that would excuse (potentially) criminally conduct should be ashamed of their willingness to depart from the rule of law.

Is it the rantings of only the Left that crime should go unpunished? Is it the fairy-cake dream land of only the idealistic that criminals be held to account?
Not in the Australia I thought I was living in.

If there has been criminal behaviour, let us hope this investigation uncovers it and appropriate steps are taken. This should be common ground between both left and right.

Ok wre has copped a real bashing but....

(a) What 'crime' has AWB broken? My understanding of the Cole Inquiry isn't that it is investigating 'criminal actions' but rather 'inpropriety'. In Australia 'kickbacks' aren't necessarily illegal and in Africa, Asia and the Middle East such business is totally acceptable-indeed a way of life.

(b) There is little hope of bringing companies in other countries to account (diplomatic pressure or not) because word has it Volker suspected the French, German and Russian governments of DIRECT involvement in dodgy oil for food transactions.

I think it's naive to wave the not in my country banner and expect Australian companies to be the moral standard barers.

Wre; long term survival in business and trade is about having good standards under the bench and knowing how we got them.

Wre's world is a scary one were anything bad is caused by the left. Get cancer blame it on the left commy bastards.

You can't stand on the high moral ground if your up to your eyeballs.
for the last poster the AWB seems to have broken a number of Aussie laws international trade laws as well as the oil for food guide lines. best of all they claimed it on tax. But even worse then that they were giving money to Sadam. A chap that was not only making his own country not a nice place but also passively supporting terrorism at best and actively at worst.

When I was a kid my Mum would not let me use the excuse “All my friends were doing it so I did it to”, if she caught me doing something wrong. Apparently this wasn’t the case in some house holds.