House debates Questions without Notice

Deputy Prime Minister

Thursday, 15 February 2018 House of Representatives

Mark Dreyfus

Mark Dreyfus Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General

2:47 pm

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister, and I refer to his previous answers. Clause 3.2 of the ministerial standards states:

… Ministers are required to ensure that official decisions made by them as Ministers are unaffected by bias or irrelevant consideration, such as considerations of private advantage …

How can the Deputy Prime Minister be satisfied that he has complied with this ministerial standard?

Barnaby Joyce

Barnaby Joyce New England, National Party, Leader of the Nationals

2:48 pm

I thank the honourable member for Isaacs. I've been advised just then that it was for a function in Armidale. Obviously decisions in the vicinity of $5,000 don't generally go across the minister's table. I am unaware of any decision that I would have ever made to be part of that decision. Anything beyond that, I'll take on notice.