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 and I refer to his previous answer. I refer to the Statement of Ministerial Standards that requires ministers to ensure their decisions are unaffected by bias or conflicts of interest and that they not mislead the public or the parliament. Given that the Prime Minister is in charge of the ministerial standards of the executive, why has the Prime Minister taken no action in relation to Senator Nash's clear breach of these standards?

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

I appreciate that members opposite are desperate to find some moral fault with members on this side of the House. I appreciate the embarrassment, in certain important respects, of members opposite when it comes to ethical standards just at this present time. But let me make this point: the minister in question has not breached the standards. She has not breached the standards. She gave what she thought was correct information to the Senate at the time and, as soon as she was aware that the information was incorrect, it was, in fact, corrected for the Senate.

As for the former staffer, he was required to divest himself of a shareholding. He was dilatory in doing so. As soon as that became apparent, he resigned. The matter is at an end. The right thing has been done by all.

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

I seek leave to table the ministerial standards to remind the Prime Minister of what they are.

Leave not granted.