Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I think it was around nine o'clock, a long time after question time. Today in questioning, she further tried to defend the fact that somehow it is all above board because the shareholding does not return any money. The fact, as she has provided rather unwillingly, is that there is a link between a company who lobbies on behalf of Cadbury and her chief of staff. But we have not gotten to the bottom of this yet because we have not quite gotten to all the truth. Today, as I said, she tried to defend the fact that, somehow, because it is not a monetary matter, it does not matter.

Today, she also told us that she has taken advice from the Prime Minister's Office. When we asked what that advice was about, we were suddenly told that she was not going to declare it. If the senator has nothing to hide, let us get the facts out, but so far we have had a refusal to answer questions from the media. Simple questions put yesterday by Senator Wong were refused to be answered. Further questions put by Senator Wong and Senator McLucas today have again not been answered fully. So Senator Nash is not yet off the hook, and the government cannot defend a matter where we do not have the truth. What is the truth of this matter?

The fact is that her chief of staff should not be in a position that deals with the food industry and its representatives, who his wife represents. Senator Nash needs to come clean and tell us exactly what has been going on. We will not let this matter rest. You can insult us all you like, but the truth is there and we are out to uncover it. Senator Nash, you have been asked three times so far. Let us get to the truth of it. I wonder if there will be another statement tonight. Let us wait and see. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.