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

It might seem a shocking thing, Senator Fifield, that the same man should be a member of the cabinet—a member indeed of the National Security Committee of the cabinet—and a registered political lobbyist. If that is not a conflict of interest, I do not know what a conflict of interest is. May I direct the attention of senators to section 2.9 of the government's own document, the Standards of Ministerial Ethics. Section 2.9 of the Standards of Ministerial Ethics says:

… these Standards require that Ministers divest themselves of investments and other interests in any public or private company or business …

Plainly, Senator Bob Carr is in breach of that requirement of the Standards of Ministerial Ethics. But furthermore, because of the nature of this business, a political lobbying business, he has kept himself in a position of conflict between his private interests—both as a lobbyist for a commercial company and in his obligations to the clients of that company to prosecute their private interests as a lobbyist—and his public duties as a senator, as a minister of the Crown and, indeed, as the holder of one of the most senior portfolios in the government and, as I said before, as a member of the National Security Committee of cabinet.

This issue was raised by Senator Ryan in Senate estimates about three weeks ago. Senator Carr asserted that everything was in order. He attempted to dismiss the conflict of interest as a bit of paperwork. Those were his words. He said, 'This is a bit of paperwork'. Now we have heard an ugly and sententious speech from Senator Jacinta Collins attacking the integrity of a very great Australian, Senator Arthur Sinodinos—a very great Australian. And yet Senator Collins shares the ministerial benches with a person who openly displays defiance and contempt for the very standards that Senator Collins asserts were not observed by Senator Sinodinos. The difference is that the assertions made against Senator Sinodinos were false—disgracefully false, disgustingly false—whereas Senator Bob Carr himself, by his own words, dismisses those standards as a bit of paperwork while being in open and flagrant and contumelious violation of them.

The place of business of RJ Carr Pty Ltd—because, as you would know, Mr Acting Deputy President Marshall, when a company is registered one of the particulars required in the registration is its place of business—was changed. It was changed on the 24th of May 2012, on the afternoon of that day. The 24th of May 2012 was the very day on the morning of which Senator Scott Ryan, in Senate estimates, exposed this matter.