Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. According to the Auditor-General, this government paid $30 million for the Leppington Triangle—which was valued at $3 million—paid 22 times the per-hectare price paid by the New South Wales government, leased the land back on a value of less than $1 million and committed to building the sellers a $10 million underpass. Does the minister stand by his claim that taxpayers got a bargain?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

ANAO reports—doesn't the member for Ballarat love those? This one was very damning about your handling of the regional rorts program—

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will resume his seat. The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

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

On direct relevance: the question dealt with a whole lot of issues about a single block of land. He's not being in any way relevant.

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

I certainly listened to the question, over the interjections of those behind the member for Ballarat. The question went to one Auditor-General's report. The Deputy Prime Minister needs to make sure his answer is relevant to the question that has been asked. The Leader of the House is seeking the call?

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, the member for Shortland used a term that needs to be withdrawn with respect to the Deputy Prime Minister.

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

Did the member for Shortland make an unparliamentary remark? The member for Shortland.

Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

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

I thank the member for Shortland. The Deputy Prime Minister.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've probably been called worse. The government and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications are taking this matter very seriously.

Ms Catherine King interjecting—

You wanted to hear my answer, so why don't you quieten down and I'll give it to you. The department agrees with the recommendations and has released a public statement. It did that on 22 September. The department is extremely concerned by the findings of the report and is taking actions to address any shortcomings in the processes and decision-making arrangements identified in relation to the Leppington Triangle acquisition. The department has agreed with all of the recommendations—seriously?

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will not resume his seat. Member for Ballarat, are you seeking the call on relevance? There's no point of order. The Deputy Prime Minister.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The department has agreed, as I say, with all the recommendations made by the ANAO, and it's already taking comprehensive action to address the relevant matters relating to the purchase. The department's actions include undertaking an independent review of the transaction, by an independent auditor. This is what is happening to ensure that any further issues are identified and addressed—instigating an investigation of matters of the staff conduct identified by the ANAO, using an independent investigator.

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

Could the Deputy Prime Minister pause for just a moment. The member for Ballarat did approach to make a point of order and is now trying to interject the point of order about what she says she did and didn't ask. I'm just going to make the point again: before getting to a question, she made five statements about the project concerned, so the Deputy Prime Minister is completely in order in referring to those. The Deputy Prime Minister has the call.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. The secretary of the department is also, in addition to other measures, putting in place protocols to ensure that any future property acquisitions or disposals are agreed by the department's operations committee prior to the exercise of delegations. It's putting in place a protocol, for the treatment of future ANAO recommendations, to internally review issues. This will require independence of the reviewers, such as from outside the affected work area; agreement to the review approach by the department's operations committee; and consideration of the outcomes by the secretary. As this work is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for me to make any further comment at this time.