Children Overboard

John Howard Lie #1

“The Government’s position remains that we were advised by Defence that children were thrown overboard, we made those allegations on the basis of that advice, and until I get Defence advice to the contrary I will maintain that position”.
John Howard, Sunrise, Channel 7, 9 November 2001

The Truth:

“I left him in no doubt that there was no evidence, that there were no children thrown overboard.”
Mike Scrafton, ABC 7:30 Report, 16 August 2004

John Howard Lie #2

“. . . the behaviour of a number of these people, [on Siev 4] particularly those involving throwing their children overboard . . .”
John Howard, ABC Radio 3LO Melbourne, 9 October 2001

The Truth:

“There is no indication that children were thrown overboard.”
Defence Strategic Command chronology to Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, noon on 10 October (quoted in Investigation into advice provided to Ministers on ‘SIEV 4′, 21 January 2002)

John Howard Lie #3

“Nothing can alter the fact that I have in my possession an ONA report that states baldly . . . that children were thrown in the water.”
John Howard, SBS Insight program, 8 November 2001

The Truth:

“. . . fundamentally there was nothing to suggest that women and children had been thrown into the water.”
Account of private conversation Acting Chief of the Defence Forces, Angus Houston, had with Peter Reith, Minister for Defence, on 7 November 2001, evidence given to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, 20 February 2002