Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Last week I revealed evidence of Australian coal exporters using fake quality tests. This prompted other industry insiders to contact me and corroborate the claims, and the Financial Review reported that the former government was aware of the fraud and buried the allegations. Will the government establish a parliamentary inquiry to investigate this misconduct? Please don't say it's a matter for ASIC, because clearly they're part of the problem.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Clark for his question, and I also acknowledge his long record of working with whistleblowers and working to ensure greater transparency in the way that politics and business and indeed our economy are conducted in this nation. We certainly take seriously any allegation like this—and they were very serious allegations that were put forward—because it goes to not just the issue of honesty in an abstract sense; this goes to our reliability as a trade partner, a reliable and trusted exporter of energy, which Australia has the reputation of being, as well as other goods. It is critical that Australia's reputation for being reliable and trusted be maintained in the future, because it is so important for our relations with our major trading partners, including Japan and South Korea, but other nations as well. But it's also important for our economy because the Australian economy receives substantial benefit when we export our resources, and that is one of the facts that goes into paying for our schools and our hospitals and our other services.

We expect all Australian companies to act with integrity and transparency and uphold the highest standards of corporate disclosure. The government is investigating how to utilise our existing powers to identify any evidence of a systemic practice of altering coal certificates, and I will certainly commit to ensuring that the member for Clark is directly consulted as part of that process. I'm pleased also to advise the member for Clark that the Department of Industry, Science and Resources is engaging with the relevant regulators and accreditation bodies to assess the matter. If there's sufficient evidence, relevant authorities should and will investigate. Integrity is the cornerstone of my government. That's why we've introduced a powerful Anti-Corruption Commission, but measures like this should be examined. I didn't see the Financial Review report that you—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister will pause, and I will hear from the member for Clark.

Andrew Wilkie (Clark, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance, the question was particularly on whether a parliamentary inquiry will be established into this matter.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister is answering the question.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I said, the department is currently engaging with the regulators and accreditation bodies and making an assessment of it. I guarantee I will come back to the member for Clark about that. I have said already that he will be engaged in part of that process. Then we will make a decision as to whether that would be appropriate. (Time expired)