Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State (House)) Share this | Hansard source

I withdraw. Now, when Joe Hockey hits the fence as the Australian Ambassador to the United States, as he should and will, it doesn't end there. It doesn't end there, because Minister Cormann has shown by rewriting—

Mr Morrison interjecting—

You should sack Hockey. I'm saying you should sack Hockey, sunshine! I'm saying he should be sacked. But, when he is sacked by this Prime Minister, it won't end there, because Minister Cormann should go as well. Minister Cormann has been shown to be the beneficiary of free flights and other freebies while giving big contracts to companies run by Liberal Party donors. This finance minister abolished the travel panel and made sure that all of the travel went through this Liberal Party company.

Instead of the Prime Minister answering in question time—we asked him again and again to give a simple explanation of these very serious issues—he got the member for Sturt to do it. Doesn't that just speak volumes? When asked by the Leader of the Opposition did he support Minister Cormann, he couldn't even answer that basic question. So Minister Cormann has a lot to worry about. All the Prime Minister did when he finally got to his feet was blame the Labor Party and plagiarise Malcolm Turnbull. First he stole Malcolm Turnbull's job and then he stole his jokes! And the rest of Australia wonders why you got rid of Malcolm Turnbull in the first place; you still haven't explained that.

This scandal, as I said, has a long way to run. It won't end with Hockey or Cormann. It will dog those opposite every day until the election, and beyond, because the Australian people do know whose side those opposite are on, and it's not the Australian people's.

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