House debates Questions without Notice
Ministerial Responsibility
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
2:55 pm
My question is to the Minister for Ageing. I refer the minister to his statement this morning in relation to the investigation into Senator Santoro:
We have absolutely no reason to believe that there’s anything untoward ...
Given that the minister was only sworn in a couple of hours ago, how come he has already made up his mind?
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing
I thank the honourable member for her question to me on my inaugural question time as Minister for Ageing. I can answer that by saying that, because I knew that I was being appointed on Sunday, I obviously took the time to do a bit of briefing, a bit of work, before this morning’s swearing in—as you would expect any new minister to do. And what I said is true.
Julia Gillard Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Ms Gillard interjecting
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Community Services
Ms Macklin interjecting
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing
We have no reason to believe or suspect that there is anything untoward in the last round of aged-care approvals. However we are conducting a review which has entailed interviewing the officials concerned—
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Community Services
What is the point? You’ve already made up your mind.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing
having the documents sent from Brisbane to be reviewed again—
Jenny Macklin Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Families and Community Services
You’ve already made up your mind.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing
and, if they turn up any information that will be of any interest to the Prime Minister, you can be certain I will tell him about it. I am surprised to get this question because the member for Lilley, the member for Griffith and the member for Rankin might remember that, when I was chairman of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters inquiry into electoral rorts in Queensland, I conducted a pretty close scrutiny of their activities. So you can be confident that, if there is anything at all wrong, I will get to the bottom of it.