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

Firstly, I would like to congratulate the new ministers on their appointments; I hope that they have better luck tomorrow in finding their seats as they move up the chain. My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Can the minister explain why the Prime Minister conspired to keep the former Minister for Ageing’s trading in CBio shares a secret? Why did the Prime Minister not advise the parliament and the public of the issue in October last year when he first became aware of the minister’s clear conflict of interest? Why did he agree to do nothing himself and allow Senator Santoro to finally lodge an incomplete and misleading declaration in December last year—some two months after raising the issue with the Prime Minister? Why did the Prime Minister not insist that the declaration advise the full truth about the CBio shares purchase? Didn’t the Prime Minister fail in his duty to enforce his own ministerial code of conduct and ministerial standards of accountability? Aren’t the public entitled to conclude that the Prime Minister will only act on breaches of his ministerial code if the matter is exposed in the public arena?