Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

The answer to that question is an emphatic 'no'. Let me just say that as Special Minister of State I treated then Senator Day in precisely the same way as I would have dealt with any member or senator in this place—Labor, Green—

Senator Jacinta Collins interjecting—

I reject that assertion most strongly. You will find that there are senators on your side of the chamber who approached me in relation to either electorate offices or staffing related matters. As I would always do with anyone, I treated them in good faith and in confidence. I sought to facilitate resolutions to enable all of us to do the job we were elected to do in this place, as appropriate. Then Senator Day was certainly not Robinson Crusoe when it came to expressing concern about an initial proposal or an initial preference expressed by the finance department about the location of somebody's electorate office.

Senator Cameron interjecting—

Senator Cameron interjects with, 'Did he own the building?' No, he did not own the building.