09:00 – Jane Halton, Chair of the Government’s People Smuggling Taskforce tells meeting of alleged “Children Overboard” incident

Ruddock calls Bill Farmer, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Taskforce member, told of “Children Overboard” incident

13:00 – Ruddock tells media of reports that children were thrown overboard.

Ruddock says “we are not going to be intimidated out of our policy by this kind of behaviour”. “I regard this as one of the most disturbing practices I’ve come across. It was clearly planned and premeditated”.

Taskforce Report provided to Howard.

09:00 – Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade SITREP 59 forwarded to Howard, Reith, Ruddock and “secret list” of Anderson, Costello, Williams and Downer. “There is no reference to children thrown overboard in the reports”. (DFAT spokesman Geoff Raby, Senate Estimates 21/2/02)

Howard says: “I express my anger at the behaviour of those people and I repeat it. I can’t comprehend how genuine refugees would throw their children overboard.”

The boat SIEV 4 sinks.

Media, and Reith’s office, become aware of existence of photographs of people in water.

Reith’s media adviser Ross Hampton orders defence to release two photos “Laura the hero” and “Dogs and his family” with explanatory text – including the date the photos were taken – removed (Senate estimates, 20/2/02)

Late at night: Five additional photos forwarded to Reith’s Departmental Liaison Officer, and emailed to ministerial staff.

Robert Hill says of the additional photographs: “they certainly seem to me to be of the boat at least part submerged.” (Press Conference, 17/2/02)

Howard changes tone dramatically from his 8 October statement:

“Well I was acting on advice given to me by the Immigration Minister to whom I spoke on Sunday, shortly before I made the statement, the advice I had was that he had been informed they were thrown overboard and there were life jackets. That’s what I was informed. I can’t tell you how many. As to the question of evidence as you put it I’ll make some inquiries and see what evidence can be made available.

JOURNALIST: Are you still confident Mr Howard of this information because you did make a lot of it at the time.”

Noon – The Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet advised: “There is no indication that children were thrown overboard” (page vii, exec summary, Bryant report)

Noon – Commanding Officer of HMAS Adelaide reports to both Commander Northern Command and the Maritime Commander that it was apparent to him that no children had been thrown into the water. (Page vii, Bryant)

1445 – On the orders of Reith, the Department of Defence releases two photos “Laura the hero” and “Dogs and his family”. The explanatory text – including the date the photos were taken – has been removed.

15:30 – Reith’s media adviser Ross Hampton told by Brigadier Bornholt of doubts about photos being of children being thrown overboard. (Bryant, page v)

16:10 – Reith tells 3LO “Well it did happen. The fact is the children were thrown into the water”. “The fact of the matter is, this did happen and it was part of a clear intended response by those on the boat”.

Australian newspaper reports residents of Christmas Island have been told by the crew of HMAS Adelaide that no children were thrown overboard.

Middle of day, Acting Chief of the Defence Forces Angus Houston tells Reith, in phone conversation witnessed by Brigadier Bornholt “there was nothing to suggest that women and children had been thrown into the water." "There was silence for quite a while, it seemed to me he was stunned, surprised.” (Senate estimates 20/2/02)

Howard adviser Miles Jordana contacts the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet seeking SITREP reports. Also seeks intelligence reports and is informed by the Office of National Assessments (ONA) Director–General Kim Jones that the ONA report is flawed because it may only be based on media reports and ministerial statements. Howard claims he is not told of this, even though Jordana delivers him the report.

Jane Halton says she is “extremely shocked” at rumours she hears that photographs have been misrepresented. Calls Jordana and told he is aware of this. Leaves message on Max Moore–Wilton’s answer service.

Howard prepares for National Press Club address and talks to Reith. “My understanding is that there has been absolutely no alteration to the initial advice that was given. And I checked that as recently as last night.” (ABC AM 8/11/01)

Crean: Prime Minister, who did you check with on the night of 7 November?

Mr Howard: The former defence minister.

(Hansard 14/2/02)

Morning: Government releases video.

1PM – Howard address National Press Club and quotes flawed ONA report to back claims children were thrown overboard

4:30PM – Navy Chief Vice–Admiral David Shackleton tells media that there is no evidence that children were thrown overboard.

Later that night: Shackleton issues statement after a call from Reith Chief of Staff Peter Hendy (Senate Estimates 20/2/02): “I confirm the minister was advised Defence believed children had been thrown overboard.” But does not retract original statement.

Reith tells Neil Mitchell he was never given advice the “kids overboard” story was untrue."...the claim that you and Simon Crean have made this morning and which is repeated in the press, namely that I was told that the children were not thrown overboard is in the report and is a conclusion of the report is simply not true. I mean I wasn’t told that, that’s the whole the point. I wasn’t told and John Howard wasn’t told either.”

(Peter Reith on Neil Mitchell, 3AW 14/2/02)

Howard tells Parliament that he spoke to Reith on night of 7 November and was told that there had been no change to the original advice.

The Australian reports: “Asked by The Australian whether Mr Howard at any stage spoke to him about the matter, Peter Reith said ‘No’. So there was no contact between you and the PM on this? ‘No.’ (The Australian 15/2/02)

Reith denies The Australian’s story.

5.00pm – Vice-chief of the Australian Defence Force, General Des Mueller tells Max Moore-Wilton that Reith knew on November 7 that the children had not been thrown overboard.

SENATOR FAULKNER: The telephone conversation was with Mr Moore-Wilton?
GENERAL MUELLER: Yes
SENATOR FAULKNER: Directly?
GENERAL MUELLER: Yes …
SENATOR FAULKNER: Did Secretary of PM&C indicate he would pass the information onto the PM?
GENERAL MUELLER: No he didn’t make any comment to me to that effect.

(Senate Estimates: 20/2/02)

7:15pm – Howard told just 2 hours later by Moore-Wilton of the information just received from General Mueller, but chooses not to disclose this information.

Howard, knowing Reith was told on 7 November the children overboard claims were false, states in an interview with Jon Faine:

... the key issue in this is whether the original statements I made and Mr Ruddock made and Mr Reith made were based on advice properly given and also whether at any stage I was told or Mr Ruddock was told or Mr Reith was told that that original advice was wrong. Now, I was not told that, nor was Mr Ruddock.

Senate Estimates reveals that Jennifer Bryant a member of the People Smuggling Taskforce was asked by Max Moore Wilton, Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet to inquire into her own Taskforce and other senior officers including Max Moore-Wilton.

Bryant reveals that Howard’s adviser Miles Jordana had requested military evidence from her on November 7. She says she is unable to say why this evidence had been left out of her report. (Senate Estimates 18/2/02)

Max Moore-Wilton maintains that it was still possible that asylum seekers had thrown their children overboard (Senate Estimates 18/2/02).

Moore-Wilton fails to disclose his knowledge of Mr Reith being told children overboard claims were untrue on 7 November:

SENATOR FAULKNER: Could I ask you if you would not mind telling us very precisely when you became aware that there was no evidence that children had been thrown overboard?

MR MOORE-WILTON: I have no recollection of being told that there was no evidence of children being thrown overboard.

Howard says in Question Time that: “Mr Jordana did tell me that he believed that he may have been told by someone in the former Defence Minister’s office and perhaps by Jane Halton … that there were unsubstantiated rumours in defence regarding the juxtaposition of the dates on the photographs.” “…as those were simply unsubstantiated rumours, he did not raise the matter with me.”

Office of National Assessments (ONA) Director-General Kim Jones tells Senate Estimates that he warned Jordana on the evening of November 7 that the ONA report may be flawed.

Press Conference – Howard reveals for the first time that Reith told him of doubts about the two photos on 7 November.

Downer tells Parliament that his department gave him “no advice on the matter”.

Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade spokesman Geoff Raby testifies to Senate Estimates that Downer was sent a Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade SITREP report about events on October 7 relating to the SIEV 4.

Raby also testifies of the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade SITREP report that: “There is no reference to children thrown overboard in the reports”.

Air Vice-Marshall Houston tells Senate estimates that in phone conversation, witnessed by Brigadier Bornholt, he told Reith that: “there was nothing to suggest that woman and children had been thrown into the water."

Powell reveals that Air Vice-Marshall Houston was not included in his report.

Reith admits to having been told children overboard claims were false on November 7.

Howard claims not to have been told of this by Reith when he specifically asked him about it on November 7. Howard calls Reith “a man of great decency and honour”.

Howard tells Parliament that he has known for six days that Reith was told on November 7.

Howard refuses to discipline Max Moore-Wilton for not disclosing his prior knowledge of Air Vice-Marshall Houston’s 7 November conversation with Reith. Asked why Moore-Wilton told him of Air Marshal Houston's forthcoming evidence, Howard answers: “Why wouldn't he report it to me?”.

Howard cites Admiral Chris Barrie to defend himself from Air Vice-Marshall Houston’s evidence:

Last night, they [the Opposition] thought they had an Exocet from the air marshal. I think you have had a decent torpedo from the admiral … This attack by the opposition has been completely blown away by the press release that has been given by the admiral last night.

Admiral Barrie retracts his evidence of 21 February:

I have now reached the conclusion that there is no evidence to support the claim that children were thrown overboard.

Senate Hearings commence.