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

My question is to the Prime Minister. Yesterday the Prime Minister said that neither he nor his office had anything to do with the statutory declarations relating to the Iguana affair made on 10 June, yet on 9 June—the day prior—in Japan, the Prime Minister confirmed that his office had been in contact with the member for Robertson. Exactly what advice did the Prime Minister’s office provide to the member for Robertson?

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

To state again clearly, no one in my office had any role in relation to initiating, approving, writing, instructing, participating in or disseminating any of the statutory declarations which are relevant to this matter. On the question of telephone contact between my office and the member for Robertson, it is normal that there be contact between the leader’s office and government members. That is, of itself, unremarkable. In relation to the press statement which, I think, is the subject of multiple questions—many of them wrongly based—on the part of the member for Curtin, my office advised me that they requested the member for Robertson to send to the office of the Prime Minister a copy of that statement, and I understand that that was done.