Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister advise the House of his relationship with Beijing AustChina Technology, including their sponsorship of his round-the-world trip in 2006 and the reasons for that sponsorship?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. When the honourable member came into the chamber a couple of days ago, he asserted from the floor of the parliament that I had accompanied this company to Sudan. That was untrue. He asserted further that I had made commercial representations in Sudan on behalf of this company. That was untrue. I have made it very clear in my public comments that I have known Mr Ian Tang, of this company, for two or three years—for several years—and all travel of mine that Mr Tang and his company have supported has been fully declared, as has been that of my colleagues, on the pecuniary interests register.

Coming from opposition, I simply make this point: in opposition, as shadow foreign minister for five years and shadow minister for foreign affairs and trade for a further year, there was no budget allocated for travel; we were required to depend on private sponsorship for overseas travel. Perhaps it is one of these things we should look at in the future in terms of how it might be changed.