Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob Carr. Is the minister aware that Australia is a party to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions? Given the government announced last year as part of its commitment to develop and implement Australia's national anticorruption plan to amend the Commonwealth Criminal Code on foreign bribery offences, is it fair to say that the government is seeking to set a good international example on corrupt practices? Does the minister support the principles of the convention? Has he in his public life always insisted upon compliance with those principles?

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer the Senate to the comprehensive answer I gave the house yesterday.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Is the minister confident that the record of the government of New South Wales, in particular during the period of his premiership, is compliant with good international practice? Does the scandal and corruption revealed to have been engaged in by Labor politicians to whom he gave patronage, such as Messrs Obeid, Macdonald and Roozendaal, compromise the minister's credibility as an advocate in his capacity as foreign minister of honest government?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister need answer that in so much as it refers to the portfolio.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not sure it does refer to the portfolio.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. The minister did not take a point of order. He did not object to answering the question. He merely said, 'I'm not sure that it does relate to the portfolio.' Given that the final part of the question said, 'Is the minister satisfied that, given the corruption and scandal revealed to have been engaged in by Labor politicians to whom he gave patronage, such as Messrs Obeid, Macdonald and Roozendaal, his credibility as an advocate has not been compromised in his capacity as foreign minister of honest government?' I would ask you to direct the minister to address the question.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. I pointed out to the minister at the start of the question that the minister need answer that in so much as it referred to his portfolio, and I believe the minister answered the question. It might not be the answer that you would like but that is—

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Are you ruling that no part of the question related to the minister's portfolio because the minister attempted to answer no part of the question? Nor did he object to the question. Nor did he take a point of order. He merely said, 'I'm not sure that any of it does.'

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has answered the question.

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Minister, why should foreign governments listen to moral lectures about corruption from a foreign minister who previously presided over government which was itself, as has now been revealed, riddled with corruption?

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was never a finding against the government I led on the grounds of corruption—never. Not once between 1995 and 2005; not about the government I led. Australia's record and that of New South Wales in the years I can speak for is exemplary.