Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Seniors) Share this | Hansard source

The parliamentary secretary, of course, has failed to answer that question. The second question he has failed to answer—and I have asked it, I think, three times now—is whether Mr Henry is still a member of the Public Service. I would like an answer to that question. If he is not, when did he leave the Public Service, and is his re-engagement as a contractor, even though the appointment is via section 67? I ask the parliamentary secretary to give me one name—just one—of any other political appointment or any appointment of a person to assist the Prime Minister out of a hole, which is exactly what this is. I can understand why the Prime Minister thinks she needs some additional advice, because she certainly cannot rely on the person who parades around as the Treasurer. She needs something to dig her out of the hole, so I can understand why they might seize on Mr Henry as being the answer. He served the government very well in the latter stages of his appointment, particularly when it came to assessing the budget savings that were put forward by the opposition prior to the last election.

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