Senate set to probe if PM went overboard
August 18, 2004 - 11:25AM
Labor Senate Leader John Faulkner today flagged a Senate inquiry into claims that Prime Minister John Howard misled the public over the children overboard affair.
Former senior defence adviser Mike Scrafton this week revealed he had told John Howard on November 7, 2001 - three days before the federal election - that there was no evidence to support claims that asylum seekers threw children overboard a boat codenamed SIEV4.
Mr Scrafton said a video of the incident did not support the claims and photographs which were said to prove it occurred were taken on a different day.
The former head of the defence department's public affairs and corporate communication division, Jenny McKenry, has now backed Mr Scrafton's version of events.
Senator Faulkner today flagged the need for a Senate inquiry.
"I'm going to talk to the leaders of the minor parties in the Senate about terms of reference and structure and timing of such an inquiry," the senator told reporters in Sydney.
He said Ms McKenry's comments in support of Mr Scrafton were "a very significant development".
"I think it really does give weight for the need for us to have a Senate inquiry to get to the bottom of these most extraordinary allegations that have been made," he said.
Senator Faulkner said both Ms McKenry and Mr Scrafton would have to face any inquiry.
"Clearly what Mr Scrafton has said, now supported by what Ms McKenry has said needs to be investigated thoroughly."
AAP
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/18/1092764979521.html?oneclick=true
For a news story that happened 3 years ago, it seems to be causing Howard a few headaches.
