More proof of inertia in the Rudd Government’s decision-making processes has been exposed during the Supplementary Budget Estimates hearings of the Senate’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

Yesterday, Queensland Liberal Senator, Russell Trood, questioned the Government’s sclerotic processes when acting on advice provided by the Attorney General’s Department with regard to the inflammatory comments by Iran’s President, Mahmood Ahmadinejad , inciting genocide, threatening to “wipe Israel off the map”, and denying the Holocaust.

“During his election campaign, Mr Rudd made a promise to the Australian people to have Mr Ahmadinejad brought before the International Court of Justice,” said Senator Trood.

“After the election, Mr Rudd had the Attorney-General’s department assess the likelihood of succeeding in the case. The advice was completed on the 14th May, but it took until 16 October for the government to reveal that it would not be proceeding with the case. Five months is an inordinate time to make a decision on such a signal promise. It must be a great disappointment to Australia’s Jewish community, particularly when Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, reiterated the promise in September, in New York, and reinforced it on 6 October.“

“It is hardly surprising that this proposal has fallen flat. International prosecutors had stated that a successful conviction was always going to be difficult because of the complexities involved in bringing such a difficult international case. It was never going to come to fruition and Mr Rudd was frivolous to suggest it in the first place,” Senator Trood said.