Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. I refer him to the meeting he had with the former agriculture secretary on 27 October last year in which changes to the minister's Hansard record were raised. Minister, at the special estimates hearing on 5 March, Dr Grimes took questions about the detail of the meeting on notice. Given that Dr Grimes has subsequently been sacked, can the minister provide the House with details of that meeting?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Hunter for his question. I think this issue was covered by the Prime Minister yesterday, when he said that the questions taken on notice will be dealt with in the usual way. What I can say is that we have had this fascination with this issue by the member for Hunter for about five months, and in five months he has been unable to prove anything.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler will leave under 94(a).

The member for Grayndler then left the chamber.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After two Senate inquiries and after an inquiry by you, Madam Speaker, he has nothing. Yet he has this nefarious pursuit. It would not matter if he had Sherlock Holmes, because we have told him the truth. But he does not accept the truth. Why would he accept the truth? This is the person who believes he has been surrounded by Judases. Who would believe they are surrounded by Judases? Obviously someone who is paranoid or someone who believes they are Jesus Christ.