Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Minchin, representing the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister’s announcement last night of an investigation into the provisions of bed licences to Russell Egan Jr and ask: if the Prime Minister has serious concerns about Senator Santoro’s time as Minister for Ageing, why did he allocate such a task to a yet-to-be-sworn junior minister as an aside during a press conference? Aren’t the public entitled to an independent investigation into Senator Santoro’s time as minister? Why won’t the Prime Minister order such an independent investigation? At the very least, will the government ensure that any inquiry looks at all decisions made by Senator Santoro and their relationship to his extensive shareholdings?