question time in federal parliament

The Prime Minister, John Howard, has hit back at accusations of negligence over the AWB kickbacks scandal.

After devoting all of Question Time to the Cole report, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley tried unsuccessfully to censure the Government over its handling of the kickbacks scandal.

"You've got to ask yourself a fundamental question about the competence of this Government - a fundamental question about the slip-shod public standards," he said.

But Mr Howard was equally passionate in defence.

"This Government did the right thing in establishing this inquiry and I will yield to nobody in this Parliament," he said.

Mr Beazley maintains the Government has been negligent despite the report clearing ministers of wrongdoing.

"Prime Minister, how do you sleep at night after your neglect meant Australian money bought the bullets fired at our brave soldiers on your incompetent watch," he said.

Mr Howard gave this response.

"There are occasions when because there are things on my mind I don't sleep as well as I might otherwise," he said.

Dave R.