Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the conflict of interest involving Senator Nash's former chief of staff and to the statement of the Prime Minister's own department at Senate estimates that the Prime Minister approves all personal staff appointments. Did the Prime Minister know of the conflict of interest when this appointment was made and, if so, why was no action taken?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The short answer is that certain requirements were put on the staffer in question. My understanding is that he failed to adhere to those requirements. When it became obvious, the staffer in question resigned and the matter is now at an end.