Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. In response to allegations aired earlier this year about branch stacking and misuse of public funds by members of the Victorian Labor Party, the Prime Minister said the issue raised many questions the Leader of the Opposition had to answer, yet when allegations of branch stacking and misuse of taxpayer funds by the Assistant Treasurer, Mr Sukkar, and a senior federal Liberal member were aired this week the Prime Minister said it was an issue for the Victorian Liberal Party and not his responsibility. Why the double standard on integrity?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can confirm that the matters that were raised earlier this week are indeed appropriately a matter for the Victorian Liberal Party organisation, which I understand has taken appropriate steps in relation to an individual. That's unlike what was the case with the alternative. It's interesting to see how the Greens are in here pitching for the Labor Party. The Greens are in here pitching for the Labor Party. That's interesting to see.

I'm not really all that focused on internal party matters like this; I'm focused on the job that the Australian people want us to do, which is to protect people's health and people's livelihoods through this pandemic. That's what we're focused on. But I can confirm for the good senator that the issues that were raised in relation to internal party matters are indeed matters for the Liberal Party organisation. To the extent there were issues raised about the alleged misuse of taxpayer funded parliamentary resources, these are matters that the relevant federal members concerned had referred for independent inquiry by the Department of Finance, which is the usual process which is applied indiscriminately, on an entirely non-partisan basis, whenever these issues arise, as I'm sure members and senators from all around this and the other chamber would be well aware.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, a supplementary question?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Scandal after scandal in this term of government has shown that the Prime Minister is reluctant to enforce his own prime ministerial and ministerial standards to lift those standards of behaviour. Will the Prime Minister investigate whether Assistant Treasurer Sukkar's actions have breached the ministerial standards, and will he stand Mr Sukkar down while doing so?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No attempt by the Greens at trailing their coat for a future coalition with the Labor Party, where no doubt they will come out and try to harm the economy and jobs again, will distract us from our job, which is to support Australians, protect people's health and protect people's livelihoods through this pandemic and to ensure we put in place a plan for the strongest possible economic and jobs recovery on the other side. That is what we are focused on.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim on a point of order?

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order is on relevance. We're now two-thirds of the way through the minister's provided time to answer this question. The question was very clear. It was about prime ministerial standards and ministerial standards and whether Mr Sukkar would be stood down while the Prime Minister made that assessment. Minister Cormann has gone nowhere near the question. Mr President, I ask that you remind him of the question.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim, you've reminded the minister of the second part of the question. It did have a preamble. The minister is allowed some discretion in being directly relevant to the preamble as well, but I've let you remind him of the point of the question.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is clearly a partisan, political question in relation to party organisational matters. It is interesting that in the middle of a pandemic a senator for Queensland is interested in internal party matters in the state of Victoria. I'll let the people of Queensland judge that at the next election. No doubt that is why the vote for the Greens is particularly weak in that particular— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, a final supplementary question?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Perhaps I'll get an answer to this one. A strong independent integrity commission is essential if we're going to stamp out the ongoing scandals that beset this place. How much longer can the government delay—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sorry. Because we're past 3 pm it won't impact the time. I'll ask Senator Waters to start again because the volume in the chamber wasn't as loud as it could be. Senator Waters, could you speak up if you could, please?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. Thank you, President. A strong, independent integrity commission is essential if we are to stamp out ongoing scandals in this place. How much longer can the government delay bringing on legislation for a federal corruption watchdog—whether that's my bill, which passed the chamber almost a year ago; or your own bill, which was described as 'imminent' 18 months ago? What more does this government have to hide?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia has one of the proudest and best records in the world when it comes to providing open, transparent and accountable government. I can see Senator McKim sneer at that but that is a fact. Of course, we are committed to pursue further reforms in this regard to even further strengthen an already strong position. I think the Australian people well understand why over the last six months we have prioritised our crisis response to protect people's lives, to suppress the spread of the virus, to slow down the spread of the virus to ensure that our hospitals could handle the inflow of patients into the health system, to ensure that we provided the necessary supports to Australian businesses, Australian workers and those Australians who lost their jobs. I think Australians understand that there has been a pandemic going on, and that clearly it was quite appropriate that, in this context, we prioritised the many measures that had to be taken as part of a crisis response. I thank the Senate. I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.