Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is directed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I refer to evidence given by Deputy Secretary Tony Sheehan, where he referred to advice that stated the following:

PM&C had checked the index of A-GD documents for the Martin Place review very carefully. The letter is not there.

That was advice sent at 12.15 on 1 June. When will the foreign minister be returning to the House to correct the record on the answer that she gave today?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I made a statement to this House based on the evidence of an official given to Senate estimates. When that official provided confirmation in writing that the evidence she gave was wrong, I corrected the record at the earliest opportunity. The official gave that written confirmation at 2.43 pm on 4 June. I corrected the record at 3.09 pm on 4 June. Senator Brandis corrected the record at 3.15 pm that day. That gave Senator Wong the rest of the afternoon in Senate estimates to ask questions of the Attorney-General about this matter.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House censures the:.

(1) Minister for Foreign Affairs and Attorney-General for:

(a) misleading the Parliament over important questions relating to national security and the safety of Australia;

(b)breaching the Prime Minister's own Statement of Ministerial Standards by failing to:

  (i)correct the record in the Parliament at the earliest opportunity in relation to mattters of national security;

  (ii)be honest in the conduct of public office; and

  (iii)take all reasonable steps to ensure that the public or the Parliament is not misled; and

(2)Prime Minister for allowing his Ministers to:

(a)mislead the Parliament over serious and legitimate questions relating to national security and the safety of Australia; and

(b)breach his own Statement of Ministerial Standards.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no smoke let alone fire in this story and so leave is not granted.