Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion relating to the censure of the Minister for Finance as circulated in the chamber:

That the Senate—

  (a) notes:

     (i) that the Albanese Government promised before the last election, and on numerous occasions since, that it would display a new era of integrity and transparency, and

     (ii) ministerial accountability to this Chamber is a cornerstone of our Parliamentary process and an essential responsibility of all Ministers of the Crown; and

  (b) censures the Minister for Finance for:

     (i) stating at Senate Estimates on 4 June 2021 that "no one had any knowledge" of an alleged sexual assault in Parliament House before those allegations became public on 15 February 2021.

     (ii) subsequently telling the Senate on 13 June 2023 that "I was provided with information in the days before the allegations were first reported."

     (iii) continually refusing to acknowledge this blatant and wilful act of misleading the Senate.

     (iv) failing to take responsibility for misleading the Senate by appropriately apologising and correcting the record.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice of motion standing in my name, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me from moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely, a motion to give precedence to a motion of censure of the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher.

The facts are clear, Senator Gallagher has misled the summit.

Government senators interjecting—