Source: The Age 21.02.02. p.1

By Mark Forbes, Michael Gordon and Kerry Taylor

The Federal Government was told that its claim that asylum seekers threw their children overboard was false by the acting head of the Defence Force three days before the federal election and a day before Prime Minister John Howard stated there was no uncertainty about the allegation.

Air Marshal Angus Houston yesterday told the Senate Estimates Committee that he had told then defence minister Peter Reith on November 7 that "fundamentally there was nothing to suggest" that children were thrown overboard.

Photographs released of the incident were taken during a rescue when the asylum seekers' boat sank on October 8, a day after the alleged children-overboard incident, he told Mr Reith.

The evidence was not included in either the Prime Minister's or the Defence Department's inquiries into the episode and caught the government by surprise. Both Mr Reith and Mr Howard have continually maintained that the military never contradicted original advice that children were thrown overboard by asylum seekers.

The hearing was also told Mr Reith's office was told on October 10 that no children were in the water during the alleged overboard episode, as was confirmed by the Navy ship involved, HMAS Adelaide.

An angry Defence Minister Robert Hill attacked the military during yesterday's hearing, claiming a "pretty unsavory job" was being "done here on Mr Reith".

An excerpt of a statement from public affairs chief Brigadier Gary Bornholt was being read to the hearing, stating: "It was quite clear that no women or children were ... (thrown overboard)." At that point, Senator Hill intervened to declare that Mr Reith was being denied natural justice.

Source: Daily Telegraph 21.02.02 p.2

By Shane Wright

The acting head of the defence force told former defence minister Peter Reith three days before the election there was no evidence children had been thrown into the ocean, a Senate committee was told yesterday. Chief of the Air Force Air Marshal Angus Houston said he told Mr Reith around midday on November 7 that it appeared the claims of children being thrown overboard were wrong.

He said he had reviewed some communication from HMAS Adelaide after a newspaper article raised doubts over the children overboard claims. It was then he discovered there was no evidence backing the claim and rang Mr Reith.

"We had a chat. I started off by telling him that it was a very confused situation, but from this evidence that I had seen it appeared to me that there had been a boarding operation on the 7th, people had jumped into the water," he said.

"There had been an incident with a child being held over the side, but fundamentally there was nothing to suggest that women and children had been thrown into the water."

Air Marshal Houston said Mr Reith was taken aback by the news.

"There was silence for quite a while, it seemed to me he was stunned, surprised," he said.

This week Prime Minister John Howard said he talked to Mr Reith on the evening of November 7 ahead of his last major election speech the following day.

Mr Howard said Mr Reith did not tell him of doubts over the children overboard claims.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 19/2/2002

PM’s office admits refugee briefing
Geoff Barker and Steve Lewis

The Prime Minister, Mr John Howard was last night battling to contain new revelations in the "children overboard" affair following confirmation that a senior adviser had been informed the official claims might have been wrong.

During a dramatic day in Parliament it was also revealed that the adviser, Mr Miles Jordana, had been given high-level briefing documents on the affair just three days before the November 10 election.

The admission came as Mr Howard faced growing pressure in Parliament to explain why senior ministers had not been informed of evidence that children had not been thrown overboard from a boat attempting to enter Australian waters in early October. And in a new revelation, The Australian Financial Review has learned that the author of a report on the Government’s handling of the affair, Ms Jennifer Bryant, was herself warned the stories were wrong on November 7.