Julian McGauran (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

They were told not to. It beggars belief that Senator Arbib and Minister Garrett, his senior minister, did not see the Minter Ellison report until two weeks ago. This report set out all the warnings about rushing this scheme—all the work safety issues, the possible bloated pricing and shoddy performances. It predicted it all.

It beggars belief that Senator Arbib came into this chamber just two days ago and said that all the departments, and officials from all the ministries, attended those safety meetings and, when asked the next day whether the Prime Minister’s department was one of those that attended the meetings, he said no. He ducked and weaved but he said no—that they were not part of it. He is protecting the Prime Minister. It beggars belief that the Prime Minister’s department was not at those meetings.

Senator Arbib said that he had been informed of the risks but he never asked any questions about what sorts of risks they were. He did not know about the 93 fires or the thousands of electrocuted ceilings—he just knew there were risks. He never asked what or why. It beggars belief. It has more to do with misleading this Senate than anything else. It beggars belief that Minter Ellison would report that he met weekly with them, and yet he knew nothing of the system’s collapse, the shoddiness of the system. I think the other day he even denied he had met with Minter Ellison on a weekly basis, saying he had met them on a ‘regular’ basis.

It all beggars belief because it is not true. There are a lot of untruths being told this week and Senator Arbib is part of that. There is a cover-up, from the Prime Minister’s office through to Minister Garrett’s and Senator Arbib’s offices. But why should we be surprised that Senator Arbib would mislead the parliament or be part of so many untruths? This is a senator who entered parliament for all the wrong reasons. You could say public administration and public service were very low on his list of reasons for entering parliament. It was all to do with political gain, political intrigue and the favours and rewards he could milk from the system, and his mates.

It is incredible that this political hoon, this shallow, overrated New South Wales politician, would enter this parliament and try and bump people as decent as Senator Forshaw or Senator Hutchins, who are both—