12 April 2006
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Trade Minister Mark Vaile should resign over their roles in the Australian Wheat Board scandal, co-director of the Monash Governance Research Unit and former Labor State Parliamentary Speaker Dr Ken Coghill says.
Dr Coghill said a strong conflict between the Howard Government's foreign and trade policies was a key factor in the case. Both Mr Vaile and Mr Downer had behaved incompetently, but prime responsibility should fall on the Foreign Minister, he said.
"Mr Downer was responsible for ensuring that all Australian trade abided by the conditions laid down by the United Nations," Dr Coghill said.
"It is clear that Mr Downer failed to see that Australia's foreign affairs policy obligations were honoured.
"As Trade Minister, Mark Vaile was expected to promote trade, but Mr Downer was responsible for laying down the law.
"That doesn't necessarily absolve Mr Vaile of responsibility -- both ministers have shown they are incapable of acting responsibly or even competently in their roles."
Dr Coghill said Australia's Wheat Export Authority (WEA) hadn't received much prominence during the inquiry, but it also appeared to have done nothing.
"The WEA falls under the portfolio of the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Mr Peter McGauran, who should have checked that WEA was closely monitoring AWB - if he had been fulfilling his role as minister," he said.
"In terms of ministerial accountability, ministers should not resign whenever something goes wrong. In this case, both Mr Downer and Mr Vaile have shown themselves unable to do their jobs - that is why both should resign. Mr McGauran should also be quizzed on his performance."
Dr Coghill, whose PhD was on ministerial responsibility and accountability, said the AWB scandal was a clear-cut case of ministers needing to accept responsibility for their portfolios -- a key tenet of the parliamentary system.
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