PM falls short of Westminster Convention on Ministerial Responsib ility: Brown

[Oquist, Ben (Sen B. Brown)]

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Thursday, 14 February 2002

PM falls short of Westminster Convention on Ministerial Responsibility:
Brown

The PM should provide evidence that he sought available contrary advice to
the 'children overboard' story, Greens Senator Bob Brown said today.

"Otherwise, Mr Howard falls short of the principle of ministerial
accountability in the Westminster tradition outlined by former Liberal
Attorney General Billy Snedden in 1966: 

'If the Minister is free from personal fault and could not by reasonable
diligence have prevented the mistake, there is no compulsion to resign'.

"The PM's department was advised in a footnote to an advice from the Defence
Strategic Command on 10 October that "there is no indication that children
were thrown overboard."  Reasonable diligence by the PM would have obtained
this advice.

"It is not believable that the PM sought this advise and his Department
withheld it," Senator Brown said.

Further information: Ben Oquist 02 62773170 or 0419704095


Ben Oquist
Greens Senator Bob Brown
02 62773170 ph
02 62773185 fx
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