Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

But I do say this: I think the Australian people, looking at a cabinet minister picking up his phone to his mate and saying, 'I've got a problem with some environmental legislation; can we make sure we have a meeting about it?' and sitting in the meeting with the compliance officer from the department about a matter that affects the value of his property—well, not every Australian landholder gets that, do they? Not every Australian landholder gets that. They might want me to withdraw the word 'corrupt', but I reckon I know what people out there would say. I reckon I know what people out there would say. And the government want to shut it down. They want to shut it down—

An honourable senator interjecting—

What's the interjection? You reckon it's okay, do you? You reckon it's okay? You reckon cabinet ministers should be allowed to ring up their mates and say, 'I've got a problem with one of my properties; can we fix it up, please, mate?'—because that's what's happened here. It is indefensible. It is a cover-up that the government is engaging in. And shame on any crossbenchers who are proposing to vote with the government to prevent an investigation into this. I understand that Centre Alliance, for example, don't want to support this. They want to support an ICAC, but they don't want to support this—transparency and accountability.

This is a protection racket for Mr Taylor—a protection racket. He has not disclosed his interests. He has failed to comply with the ministerial standards and he has engaged in behaviour that those opposite know is inappropriate. They won't allow me to say the word 'corrupt', but they know this is not kosher. I cannot imagine, as much as I might have my disagreements with Senator Cormann, that he'd pick up the phone and say: 'Mate, there's a problem with my property because of this legislation. Can we just have a chat with the department about it?' Would Senator Ruston do that, up in the Riverland? 'Oh, I've got a problem with this water licence. Can we just have a chat about that?'