Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I just want to flag that the opposition will be supporting Senator Patrick's motion. We won't be supporting the Greens' amendments. But, since this motion was lodged, the Prime Minister has provided a letter to the Senate from his departmental secretary relating to the inquiry into the compliance of former ministers Pyne and Bishop with the ministerial standards. The letter advised the Prime Minister that former Foreign Minister Bishop assured the secretary she'd had no contact with Palladium as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Yet, on 9 June 2017, former Foreign Minister Bishop appeared in a video filmed in her office and published on Palladium's Facebook page titled Australia's Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, commends Shared Value and Palladium's Business Partnership Platform. I think this does draw into question the findings relating to former Minister Bishop in the Parkinson report and supports the establishment of this inquiry. We do, however, have concerns with the Greens' amendments and won't be supporting them today.