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

My question is also to the Minister representing the Minister for Trade and Investment, Senator Sinodinos. Can the minister confirm that Mr Alastair Furnival was a member of the delegation that accompanied the trade minister, Mr Robb, to Beijing in August 2015? Can the minister confirm that Mr Furnival participated in this delegation in his capacity as a third-party lobbyist?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not have a list of the, I think, 360 figures who went to Indonesia. I will take that question on notice. I will simply make the point: if someone has ever made a mistake in their life, should they have the mark of Cain on their forehead for the rest of their business existence?

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

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I ask: who made the decision to include Mr Furnival in the delegation to Beijing; was Mr Robb or his office consulted on the make-up of the 31-member delegation, which included just one third-party lobbyist, Mr Furnival; and can the minister further explain why the 31-member delegation included only one woman?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take those questions on notice. Normally with these sorts of delegations people do pay their own expenses, but I will check what happened.

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

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister confirm that, despite working for three lobbying firms and owning another, Mr Furnival is not registered on the Commonwealth register of lobbyists? Can he further confirm that the Commonwealth lobbying code provides that government representatives, including Mr Robb and his staff and DFAT and Austrade officers, must not be a party to lobbying activities by a lobbyist not on the register?

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take advice from the minister.