Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, a Senate inquiry was set up specifically so that Treasury officials could come before that Senate inquiry and give evidence as to what they had been told by the Prime Minister’s office and what they had been told by the Treasurer’s office. Yet time and time again the government senators, on directions from the leadership team, ran interference to prevent the Treasury official from giving a full answer. Not only did the government senators run interference but so did a Treasury official at the table, to prevent Mr Grech from giving his evidence in full not distorted by the attacks from the government senators. As I was saying, I have just been speaking to some constituents, and I say this to those who might be listening to this debate: how many people who have had a problem that required Treasury attention have received an immediate phone call from the Treasurer? How many people have received action taken that day?

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