Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. Can the minister confirm that the Prime Minister's own ministerial standards require ministers to uphold the law and not mislead parliament? Why then has the Prime Minister failed to take any action at all in response to breaches of the standards by his communications minister and employment minister?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Farrell, I am familiar with the ministerial code and the standards, from which you have quoted selectively, I'm sorry to say, Senator Farrell, because what those standards also say is that, if a minister makes a mistake in a statement to parliament, they are under an obligation to correct that statement at the earliest possible opportunity. In relation to my colleague Senator Cash, notwithstanding all the jibes that have come across the chamber from your colleagues in the last couple of weeks, the truth is that the moment Senator Cash became aware that statements that she had made to the Senate estimates committee were incorrect she went right back into that estimates committee after the dinner adjournment and corrected them immediately—immediately; at the first opportunity. That's the position in relation to Senator Cash, Senator Farrell: she was absolutely impeccable in her obedience to the ministerial standards. Her misstatements to the Senate committee were inadvertent, as she has explained many times, because she herself had been misinformed, and the moment she became aware that she had been misinformed she went straight back into the estimates committee and corrected the record at once.

In relation to my colleague Senator Fifield, your question is based on an entirely false premise, Senator Farrell. Senator Fifield has at no stage misled the chamber in relation to anything. In fact, he has been asked about this matter several times this week and has been very thorough and very forthright and very accurate in his responses.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order, Senator Macdonald?

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I didn't want to interrupt the leader, although I struggled to hear him, but, for one minute and 40 seconds of the two minutes the leader was answering that question, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, from whom we would expect better things, continued to shout and yell and tried to drown out the minister from his answer. I'd ask you to ask the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, as a matter of responsibility for someone in a responsible position, if she could keep quiet just for the last couple of minutes of question time.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I again ask all colleagues to show their Senate colleagues some courtesy when both asking and answering questions. Senator Farrell, a supplementary question?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I do have a supplementary question. Given the Attorney-General misled the Senate in relation to dealings with the now former Solicitor-General, the employment minister misled the Senate five times and the communications minister has covered up breaches of the Constitution, and all three remain in cabinet, why does the Prime Minister even bother having ministerial standards?

Senator Cormann interjecting—

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes—ho, ho, ho, Senator Cormann. Quite right. Absolute rubbish, Senator Farrell. Absolute rubbish. Every single assertion you've made is false. But what you have inadvertently done with that question is you have verified the prediction of my friend Senator Canavan over there, who half an ago predicted that, by the time question time was finished, not a single question would come from the Australian Labor Party about jobs in Queensland or, indeed, about jobs at all. And, indeed, Senator Farrell, this being the last question of the week, it's notable that there has not been a single question from the Australian Labor Party about policy all week. And, with the House of Representatives not sitting this week, with this being the only parliamentary chamber in session this week, what does it say about you and your colleagues that, for the whole week, there was not a single question about policy and not a single question about jobs?

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I'm not calling Senator Farrell until I can hear him. Senator Farrell, a final supplementary question?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for that protection, President. I do have a further supplementary question. Does the Prime Minister have any standards that he won't sacrifice in order to hold onto his own job?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

By their own admission, that is the closest the Australian Labor Party can come to asking a question about a job, for heaven's sake. Senator Farrell, in the good old days you used to represent working people. You couldn't care less. Senator Farrell, the fact is that every minister in this government is strictly observant of the ministerial standards, which are enforced rigorously by the Prime Minister. Senator Farrell, if I might offer you some advice: next time we gather here for question time, why don't you use the intervening week to think up some policy questions rather than the tricky questions, political pointscorings, gibes and intrigue that so obsess you? Why don't you, for once, ask some questions about what matters to Australians? I ask that further questions be placed upon the Notice Paper.