Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. I refer to comments by the Assistant Treasurer reported in the Sydney Morning Herald on negotiations between the government and the Greens on the Financial Accountability Regime Bill. Mr Jones, the Assistant Treasurer, said, 'There'd been no sign-off on anything'. Yet, last week in the chamber, Senator McKim stated:

There is absolutely no doubt that Minister Jones and I had an agreement, and any claim that there was no agreement is false.

Minister, can you clarify for the Senate: was there an agreement between Minister Jones and Senator McKim? And, if so, why did the Assistant Treasurer renege on this deal?