George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is it the practice of this government that ministers may abstain from policy decisions on tax or social security if there are potential effects on their relatives’ affairs? Could they abstain from decisions in relation to military engagements if they had a relative in the armed services? Can the government claim to govern in the national interest if that is its practice? Or was this merely a fictional excuse to excuse the Prime Minister from dodging a difficult policy question?