A Dirty Week In Australian Politics:

"I watched the same debate everyone else did. I fail to understand how anyone could think Howard and his ministers had done anything but make fools of themselves...

'Here is the Prime Minister trying to convince the House that I invented - his word - the proposition that 12 months ago our shadow cabinet made decisions on the immediate withdrawal of Australian troops from Iraq.' And after Latham detailed the dates of the four meetings and the specific wording of the relevant minutes, he leaned towards Howard opposite and said, with some heat: 'Do you understand that, Prime Minister? Do you understand?'

Howard has not repeated the claim. He has not apologised, either. Not after Latham scalded him: 'It is always sad to see a politician at the end of his career thrashing around for an issue.' "