Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. During the 'Utegate' scandal, the Prime Minister spoke about misleading the parliament, saying:

That is an offence that should result in the dismissal or resignation of a minister. It is perfectly clear.

Given that it is perfectly clear that the employment minister misled the Senate five times, why won't the Prime Minister, under his own standards, sack the employment minister?

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable member knows very well that the Minister for Employment, Senator Cash, gave evidence in the course of estimates in which she described the facts of the matter as known to her at the time. When her staffer admitted to having done the wrong thing, she corrected the record in light of that admission. That is precisely what she should have done, and she did it—with an integrity that the honourable member might reflect has been all too rarely shown by those who claim to represent and lead trade unions in this country.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Grayndler!