Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Acting Deputy President. Importantly, I ask the Senate to consider whether Senator Sinodinos's explanation for his failure to declare his interests is plausible. Senator Sinodinos essentially said that he had forgotten several company directorships and insinuated that this failure was due to an ignorance of the rules for declaring private interests. I seriously question whether Senator Sinodinos's assertions pass the person-in-the-street test or indeed any test that any senator in this place might seek to apply. Senator Sinodinos is a seasoned corporate operator and a career capitalist, with executive experience with some of the world's largest corporations, including the National Australia Bank, Goldman Sachs and JBWere. I question whether it is plausible that an experienced corporate executive would simply forget several company directorships. I also question Senator Sinodinos's feigned ignorance of the rules relating to the declaration of private interests. Senator Sinodinos should be well versed—