George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Penny, he doesn't need any coaching from you! Sorry, that was off the record!

Senator Di Natale, you should know better than to ask me about cabinet deliberations. The deliberations of cabinet are never an appropriate subject of a question because they may not be the subject of an answer. You know that, Senator Di Natale.

I am aware of these reports. I am not aware of whether they are accurate reports or not. I am merely aware of the allegation. But I can tell you, Senator Di Natale, knowing Mr Robb as I do and having worked with him as a colleague and known him as a friend for many years, I regard Mr Andrew Robb as a person of the very greatest integrity who has now left politics and who is pursuing a career in the private sector, as he is perfectly entitled to do. I dare say that if Mr Robb had not given the prime years of his career to public service in the parliament he would be a very wealthy man, but he is not because he gave a period of public service for over a decade.

Now, in relation to the broader question of foreign political donations the government's position is very clear. Following the report of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters into the topic, the Prime Minister announced that the government would move to ban foreign political donations. That is a matter that Senator Ryan, the Special Minister of State, and I have under review at the very moment. We mean to do that. As well, the Prime Minister has commissioned me more broadly to look at the law concerning foreign interference, to see where that can be reformed to protect Australian interests. (Time expired)