House debates Questions without Notice
Ministerial Staff: Code of Conduct
Ms Catherine King Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health
3:08 pm
My question is again to the Prime Minister. I refer to his statement:
I am determined to ensure that as far as the new Coalition government in Canberra is concerned, not only is it clean and fair but it's seen to be clean and fair …
Prime Minister, were the actions of the Assistant Minister for Health clean and fair when she removed the Health Star Rating website, a policy decision where her chief of staff had a clear conflict of interest? Why won't the Prime Minister require that the website be reinstated immediately?
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
Again, I understand that the shadow minister in question is attempting to impugn the ethical standards of this government.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
I back the ethical standards of this government absolutely, to the hilt, against the ethical standards that those opposite showed when they were in government. I do. If the Leader of the Opposition wants to show a little bit of repentance for the standards of members opposite, he might say something about the former member for Dobell.
To get onto the issues that she raised—
Ms Catherine King Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order on relevance. It was a particular question about the Health Star Rating website and on Senator Nash's—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
It was quite clearly a question about ethical behaviour.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
On Health Star Rating, my understanding is that the departmental website was put up before the system was ready to go. That is my understanding. That is the answer that the minister provided to the Senate. Let me make this absolutely crystal clear—
Ms Plibersek interjecting—
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The minister has done the right thing, and the former staffer did the right thing by resigning. This is a government which takes ethical standards seriously. This is a government that will always act with decency and integrity.
Mr Champion interjecting—
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The member for Wakefield will remove himself under 94(a).
The member for Wakefield then left the chamber.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister
The staffer in question was dilatory in complying with an undertaking that he had given. He has now done the right thing and he has resigned. The matter is at an end.