Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

As I assured the House earlier this week, the government of course will cooperate fully with the New South Wales police investigation. As I said, we will await the outcomes of that investigation and, at that time, if there are any further matters for me to consider then of course I will. The matter that I was invited to address earlier this week by the Leader of the Opposition was the application of the ministerial standards. I addressed myself to those issues in the way that I outlined to the House. That's where the matter stands now.

But I note that in the matters the Leader of the Opposition has raised with me, he has established this principle, which says that a minister—a senior member of my team—who is the subject of an investigation should immediately have to stand aside. I note that that was not a standard the Labor Party pursued when they were in government. I note that it is not a standard they have sought to apply in opposition, when members of their own front bench have been the subject of police investigation for very serious issues in the past—that has not been the cause for those members to stand aside.

I heard today that in direct response to questioning—

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