Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Defence, Senator Johnston. I refer to the minister's spring culinary tour of Australia, which has currently clocked up over $6,000 of spending in restaurants in Perth, Adelaide and Canberra. Can the minister confirm that his culinary tour included a $190 bottle of Henschke Mount Edelstone shiraz, a $98 T-bone steak, a $20 lobster roll and $12 ice-cream sandwich? Can the minister also confirm that the bill for these feasts was paid for by the taxpayer?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my right and on my left! We will not proceed until there is silence. I call the minister.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very grateful to the senator for the opportunity to put a few facts onto the record. All hospitality hosted by me and extended to foreign dignitaries or industry heads has been within guidelines and is consistent with previous Labor defence ministers' practice.

With respect to the month of November, I would like to remind the senator through you, Mr President, that that was the weekend of the Albany Anzac commemorative event. A number of defence officials from other countries came through Perth, with whom I had bilateral meetings.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Order on my left! The question has been asked. Allow the minister to answer so that we can all hear the answer.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They were from France, with a team of approximately eight people, if I remember correctly; from Japan, with a team of approximately five people; and New Zealand I think had about 10 or 12 people in the party. Of course, that is a very sizeable amount of what this relates to. Whilst some of our close allies were in the country for this important event, we took the opportunity to hold meetings and to discuss issues that are of mutual benefit.

I can assure the Senate that all travel that I have undertaken also has been entirely within entitlement, and I have never, in response to the article that was published, accepted an international flight upgrade as minister. All of the entitlements, the dinners, all of the things that I have done as hosting foreign dignitaries, have been entirely proper and appropriate, and I am very proud of the material we presented to our foreign visitors.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I suppose you should do all right after a $100 T-bone!

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Come to the question, Senator Cameron.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer the minister to the President of the Defence Force Welfare Association, who says, 'It smacks of double standards and the use of power for privilege.' Can the minister confirm that, in contrast to his thousand-dollar dinners, soldiers who travel on official business can only claim up to $47 for dinner, provided there is no flight meal provided?

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! We will not proceed until there is silence. Minister.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I reject the premise of that question, but can I say that I am not in the circumstances that I saw and observed over a long period of time with the shadow minister, where he was accepting the largesse of three commercial television stations and then of course awarded them some $250 million. I have not done that. May I say that when a foreign defence minister—I have done more than 40 bilaterals with defence officials—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. Senator Cameron on a point of order.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order. The question goes clearly to the use of power for privilege. I would like a response on the misuse of power for privilege.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, the minister rejected the premise of your question up-front. Minister, you have the call.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am extremely proud of what Australians have done in France in two world wars, and when the French defence minister comes here I am very pleased to extend hospitality to him, as I—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pause the clock. A point of order, Senator Cameron?

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order. The minister has gone nowhere near the question, which says that soldiers who travel on official business can only claim up to $47. The minister should go to that point.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Cameron. The minister has rejected the premise of your question. Minister, you have concluded your answer?

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has concluded his answer. Senator Cameron, a final supplementary question?

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. With ADF personnel now receiving a real pay cut, isn't the minister's taxpayer funded fine-dining tour just another example of a government that has got its priorities all wrong, or is this just the minister's attempt to line up a job as a food and wine critic once he is reshuffled out of the ministry?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister does not have to respond to the second part of that question. Minister, you have the call.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have explained why the pay situation for service personnel is as it is. We are endeavouring to clean up the mess, and the tenor of your question indicates the length, breadth and depth of the mess that we have had to clean up. That question is an absolute insult to our intelligence.