Senate debates

Thursday, 25 September 2014

Questions without Notice

Ukraine

2:39 pm

Photo of Mathias CormannMathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased that finally I get a question from the Leader of the Opposition, although it is still not a question about the budget. I wonder why she is not asking me any questions about the budget. In relation to the question she has asked me, I am not aware of the conversations that the Treasurer has had in his bilateral engagements but I will take that question on notice and, if I can assist Senator Wong with any information about the specifics of what was discussed, I will—bearing in mind that these conversations, in the ordinary course of events, are actually private conversations. You would not expect me to be aware of the specifics of the conversations that my good friend and valued colleague the Treasurer, Joe Hockey had through that weekend.

Let me just say that the Treasurer did an outstanding job in leading efforts around the world to boost economic growth by an additional two per cent on top of business as usual. The meeting in Cairns was a great success, following on from the great work that was done in Sydney earlier this year. We had finance ministers and central bank governors from right around the world meeting in Cairns following on from the efforts in Sydney earlier this year.

It is quite extraordinary that Senator Wong has not asked me a single question about the budget since we came into government in September last year, but here she is asking me a question about a private conversation at an international level, that I clearly cannot possibly have any idea about, and she would expect me to actually be able to share it on the spot. Senator Wong does not seem to be focused on the issues that she should be focusing on.

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