Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Senator Watt. The Senate select committee inquiry into bilateral air service agreements heard that the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts provided a brief to the Minister for Transport on 9 January seeking approval for a negotiating mandate for additional Qatar Airways flights. Later in January, the Virgin CEO met with the minister, who said that she expected to approve negotiations within the next couple of weeks but was also speaking to then Qantas CEO Alan Joyce who was 'not happy'. Then there were six months with no feedback to the department until the minister decided to ignore departmental advice and reject the Qatar application in July. Minister, what role did pressure from Mr Alan Joyce play in the ministerial rejection of her department's advice?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Chandler. The minister has repeatedly made clear throughout this entire debate that her actions were only ever based on one factor, and that was the national interest of Australia.

Throughout this debate, the opposition has repeatedly asserted that Mr Alan Joyce—as opposed to Mr Barnaby Joyce; another Joyce with an interest in aviation—has exerted some sort of influence over this decision. But I also note that the opposition has never been able to provide one skerrick of evidence to back up that assertion. I saw through the referendum campaign that, at one point, Mr Dutton was claiming that Mr Joyce had influenced the Prime Minister's decision about the Voice—again, no evidence; just going around making assertions.

I would invite the opposition to provide just one skerrick of evidence to back up the assertions that it has been making now for weeks. I think it is quite telling that in a debate that has been going on for probably the best part of three months, the opposition has not been able to provide any evidence to back up that assertion.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Birmingham?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To respond to the minister's invitation, did Minister King speak with Mr Joyce—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham, that is not a point of order. Minister Watt, please continue.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's nice to hear from the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate for a change. We don't really hear a lot from him these days. As I say, the opposition has never been able to provide a skerrick of evidence to back up the assertion that it makes. It has been engaged in a campaign of smear against Minister King for the best part of three months without any evidence to back up its claims.

I stand behind what Minister King has said, which is that the government's actions were at all times based on our decision as to the national interest, just as previous decisions made by former coalition transport ministers, such as Michael McCormack, to stop Qatar from having extra flights. I don't remember the opposition having any concerns about that; it is only when it's a Labor decision.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, a first supplementary?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has refused to outline who she spoke to prior to making her decision on the application for additional Qatar Airways flights and refused to confirm her conversations with Mr Joyce. Can the minister confirm that the only stakeholder Minister King spoke with before changing her mind and rejecting departmental advice was Mr Alan Joyce?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, Senator Chandler, you can't just make up evidence by coming and making assertions. The implications—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. I will come to you, Senator Birmingham, but I am asking senators, particularly on my left, to stop the very loud interjections. Senator Birmingham?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, the minister just accused Senator Chandler of 'making up evidence'. Senator Chandler's question is referring directly to evidence to a Senate committee.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham, that isn't a point—

Senator Wong, please resume your seat. Senator Birmingham, that is a debating point. It's not a point of order. Please resume your seat.

Senator Birmingham, I will certainly take advice, but I don't think that fits the gamut of points of order. As I said, that is a debating point, which of course senators are free to explore during the debate to take note of answers.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I say, this entire campaign has been based on a complete lack of evidence. The minister has already said publicly that she speaks to the CEOs of major airlines regularly and that she knew exactly what their opinions were on the Qatar decision. She has said that she spoke to the Qantas CEO, just as she spoke to the Virgin CEO, and that she certainly knew their positions before those consultations. I'm afraid that you don't get to make a case by simply asking questions that don't have a factual basis in this desperate search for evidence to back up the assertions that you've been making for the last three months.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, your second supplementary?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese government and Qantas have made seats to and from Australia hard to access and expensive. Will the Albanese government continue its protection racket of Qantas by seeking to block attempts in this Senate to hear from the Prime Minister's friend Alan Joyce and Transport Minister King on what role Mr Joyce played in denying Australian travellers additional competition for flights to Europe?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To the extent that this question relates to Minister King's decision to not attend the Senate inquiry—as Senator Chandler, Senator McKenzie and every other member of this Senate well know—House of Representatives members or ministers are not required to attend Senate inquiries.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Did Peter Dutton attend a Senate inquiry? Who's the current Leader of the Opposition? Peter Dutton never did that.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Order across the chamber! Firstly, Minister Watt, I would ask you to direct your comments through me. Secondly, when referring to those in the other place, please use their correct titles.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm pleased that it's taken the best part of 18 months for the opposition to finally embrace the words 'Scott Morrison', words that until now—or 'Mr Morrison'—had not been uttered by a single member of the opposition. Now they're clinging to him as a life raft for this baseless set of accusations that they've been making for the last three months. So, welcome back, Mr Morrison. You are now officially a member of the Liberal Party again. But, as I say, the opposition well knows that the custom is that House of Reps members do not attend Senate inquiries and nor will Minister King. (Time expired)