Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Hansard source

It really is quite distasteful—the hatchet job that the Labor Parry are trying to undertake on Mr Barnier. Mr Barnier was first employed—

Senator Polley interjecting—

Senator Polley, you should be careful about your comments across the chamber, because Mr Barnier was first engaged by the Labor Party in 2013 to work on forums for the Australian government. It is really quite disappointing that the Labor Party come into the chamber to undertake these sorts of smear campaigns.

Mr Barnier, as Senator Walsh said in her question, was the CEO of Opal Aged Care. Opal Aged Care, subsequent to the allegations that were being raised, employed the Nous Group to undertake an independent review of the circumstances that were raised. That independent review made no findings against Mr Barnier.