Andrew Murray (WA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Minister, during your visit to Perth last week for a cabinet meeting and other engagements, did you note strong media commentary concerning poor political governance and poor standards in politics in general? With the coming federal election, is your government going to assure Australians that you will have a policy to introduce much stronger governance standards to political parties, perhaps similar to those that apply now to unions and corporations? Does the government agree with media and public concern over WA cabinet considerations being procured for commercial profit, or does the government agree with media and public concern over the time of federal cabinet ministers being sold for political party profit? Is the government concerned that politics is for sale?

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is pretty hard, whether you go to Perth or stay here in Canberra, not to notice the extraordinary goings-on in Western Australia. I am sure Western Australian senators, particularly on the Labor side, are deeply embarrassed by the revelations of Mr Burke’s myriad tentacles through the political structure and the bureaucracy of Western Australia, and the extraordinary goings-on with respect to cabinet ministers, the revelation of private cabinet meetings and the outcome of cabinet discussions to lobbyists of the ilk of Mr Burke—who we all thought had disappeared, but clearly he has resurfaced and is exerting extraordinary influence in Western Australia. However, those are matters that are currently being considered by the relevant commission of Western Australia—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is too much noise in the chamber. I would ask senators on both sides to come to order.

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those are matters that are currently obviously before the relevant commission in Western Australia, and it may well be that charges are laid as a result of that. I do not want to impinge on that process, but I think everyone involved in politics on any side would be gravely disturbed by what we are seeing and hope that it would never occur at a federal level. I am not quite sure where Senator Murray is going with the question. I would be interested if he has any ideas or propositions with respect to how federal politics and the governance of federal parties, governments and oppositions can be improved.

I think it is true that both sides of federal politics in this country—and I say this with respect to the Labor Party when they were in government—are mercifully free of the taint that we have seen at state level not only in Western Australia but in other states. I think there is a very significant difference in the level of propriety that occurs at a federal level as compared with the state level. I think all state governments and state parliaments have much to learn from the revelations of what is going on in Western Australia. If Senator Murray—through you, Mr President—has any proposals that would advance the cause of good governance at a federal level, I would be happy to entertain them.

Andrew Murray (WA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. In responding to the minister’s request, I have detailed recommendations in my supplementary remarks to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters report into the 2004 election. The minister missed the second part of my question, which was about the time of federal cabinet ministers being sold for political party profit. That is also a question of media interest. Does the minister accept that he has confirmed that there will be no improvement in political governance and standards under the coalition? Does the minister accept that he has also confirmed that there will be no attempt to find ways for political parties to fund themselves without politicians, particularly ministers, having to sell themselves and their time? Tell me, Minister: just how much money did ministers, in Perth for a cabinet meeting, raise altogether by selling their time?

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is the reality of Australian politics that campaigning is an expensive business. Unless you go down the path of banning television and radio advertising, the fact is that communicating our messages to the Australian people does involve raising substantial sums of money, and both parties—when in government or in opposition—do seek to raise the funds to ensure that we can communicate our messages. As I say, on both sides of politics it is a fact that senior figures in respective parties attend fundraising functions. I think it is quite wrong to represent that as ministers selling their time. It is proper and within the rules that have been established for parties to raise funds, and the Democrats do it by making senior spokespersons available to attend fundraising functions where Australians are prepared to contribute to the party of their choice and, in so doing, to have access to the representatives of those parties. But, of course, we make our time available for free all the time, and that is true of all politicians.

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.