Australian Wheat Board – Did the government know anything?

I have been watching with interest as the Cole Inquiry finally handed down the report into the Oil for food scandal. For those not in know, it appears that the Australian Wheat Board had paid so-called "Transportation fees" to a shipping company with links to Saddam Hussein’s regime. Now if it were a couple of thousand, no biggy, but its in the order of $300 million to ensure Australian wheat was used by the Iraq bakers for their bread. Talk about doing what you can for a sale! Anyway, it has all come out in the wash with the help of our American allies, and so to soften the political damage, the Australian Government ordered an inquiry into the whole affair (the Cole Inquiry) The end result of this is the Cole report which was released earlier this week.

In his report, it appears Mr Cole has cleared the Australian Government of any criminal behaviour and has assigned the blame solely on the Company and its executives. Eleven Managers at the top of the company have been accused of potentially criminal behaviour under the Corporations Act. The next step would be the Director of Public Prosecutions getting involved. Should be an interesting Christmas for some of those corporate warriors. But not to worry, criminal behaviour does not disqualify you from the business community. Just look at Alan Bond!

However I don’t understand why the government of Australia isn’t a little more culpable for their failure to pick up the dodgy behaviour? The government, through its agencies like ASIC and the ACCC, not to mention the Department of foreign affairs and the various intelligence arms, should have know something. If they did not, as is expressed in the Cole report, it is a stuff-up of epic proportions. If our government were a corporation, surely it would be guilty of negligence at the very least? The corporate reputation of Australia in the eyes of our customers has taken a battering. Our wheat sales have been seriously curtailed. If Australian citizens had the same rights as shareholders, we could sue the directors of the government (the ministers and the PM) in the hope of receiving compensation for the Government’s failings. But for better or for worse Governments are only accountable at the ballot box. No extra dividend in our Christmas stocking I’m afraid.

It’s a bit of a worrying trend really. That’s twice in recent history that our so-called spymasters have gotten it completely wrong. ASIO, ASIS, ONIE, the Australian Federal Police, our foreign allies in the intelligence world, were they asleep on the job? Not a clue? They stuffed up with the Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq, and they have stuffed up with the Oil for food program. Not quite George Smiley at the wheel one would think (apologies to John Le Carre)
In today’ world of international terrorism, Middle East instability and unrest in the Pacific islands close to Australia, competent intelligence organisations and networks are absolutely crucial to the protection of Australia and its people.

Time for an inquiry into the Spy Agencies as well I think.