Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I ask the minister to have another crack at the primary question. When was the prospectus agreed by the government? Why was its issue delayed by over two hours this morning? What changes were requested by the government which resulted in this unseemly fight with the Telstra board? Minister, will you answer those questions? Does the consent/sign-off by the Minister for Finance and Administration mean that he and the government accept the damning assessment of the suitability of appointing Mr Cousins to the Telstra board, contained in the prospectus? Given that you have signed off on that damning assessment, does that mean that you now agree that Mr Cousins is an inappropriate appointment?