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

Again, this is a matter that I directly addressed in my very comprehensive statement to the Senate earlier today. This is probably a good time to again confirm that at no stage did I ever receive any advice from the Department of Finance that the lease signed on 1 December in itself, or in the absence of rental payments, could cause a potential breach of section 44 of the Constitution. I refer you to the relevant quote in my statement to the Senate:

… subsequent to that—and aware of all the information that had emerged by then—on 18 February 2016, the Department of Finance advised me that it would be open to me to approve the payment of rent for the Day electorate office going forward from 1 March 2016. However, when seeking to put in place this payment, further information came to light—