Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

It's nice to hear from the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate for a change. We don't really hear a lot from him these days. As I say, the opposition has never been able to provide a skerrick of evidence to back up the assertion that it makes. It has been engaged in a campaign of smear against Minister King for the best part of three months without any evidence to back up its claims.

I stand behind what Minister King has said, which is that the government's actions were at all times based on our decision as to the national interest, just as previous decisions made by former coalition transport ministers, such as Michael McCormack, to stop Qatar from having extra flights. I don't remember the opposition having any concerns about that; it is only when it's a Labor decision.