Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. The Members of Parliament (Staff) Act, associated directions and guidelines, and the Prime Minister's Statement of Ministerial Standards give the Prime Minister authority over the appointment of ministerial staff. Given that the minister yesterday told the Senate that ministerial staffing of Nationals offices is a matter for the National Party, what instrument or document delegates the Prime Minister's authority and to whom is it delegated?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Farrell for that question. As I indicated to the Senate yesterday, both the office of the Prime Minister and, for that matter, the Department of Finance have an administrative role in relation to these appointments. In relation to the finance department, incidentally, that is an administrative role that they have in relation to all staff employed by members and senators, whether in government or in opposition. As far as the appointments of staff in Nationals ministers' offices and other Nationals members' offices are concerned, as I indicated yesterday, my advice is there is an overall allocation of staff—there's a staffing pool—that is allocated to Nationals ministers. These are decisions that are made by the National Party. As the Deputy Prime Minister advised in a statement again today, he did not discuss these matters with the Prime Minister or his office as Vikki was not his partner, so they were dealt with in the usual course of staff deployments and appointments within the National Party.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A point of order, Mr President: there was a quite specific question there. I won't repeat it—you don't like me repeating questions—but I would ask you to ask the minister to answer the question that I asked him.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can't instruct the minister how to answer the question. You've taken the opportunity to remind him of your question.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, as I've said, the Nationals are responsible for decisions relating to staffing in the offices of Nationals members. The Prime Minister's office has an administrative role in informing the Department of Finance of changes, and all ministers, of course, are bound by the ministerial standards. The Deputy Prime Minister explained his circumstances.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cormann, please resume your seat. Senator Farrell?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister obviously has a prepared answer for a different set of questions. My question was a simple and straightforward one, and I request that you ask the minister to give us an answer.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As you know, Senator Farrell, I can't instruct a minister how to answer a question. You've taken the opportunity again to remind him of the terms of the question. I remind the minister of the terms of the question asked, as you have just done.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Farrell clearly doesn't understand the answer that I'm providing to him. I've confirmed—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Carr on a point of order.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on the question of relevance: the opposition has asked a direct question as to what instrument—what instrument? There has been the exercise of legal authority in regard to the appointment of staff. We're nowhere near answering that question. 'What instrument?' is the question.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Carr, the minister is being relevant to the question asked. I can't instruct him on how to answer. I've let you remind him of the question, but can we please allow the minister to go for a few more seconds before another—following my ruling. Sorry, Senator Cormann.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. I reject the premise of the question. I've confirmed that the Prime Minister has an administrative role in informing the Department of Finance of changes in employment arrangements.

Senator Jacinta Collins interjecting—

Well, I've just indicated to you that the Prime Minister has an administrative role, which of course he fulfils. But the decisions in relation to employment arrangements for Nationals ministers are made by the National Party.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. The Members of Parliament (Staff) Act, associated directions and guidelines and the Prime Minister's Statement of Ministerial Standards set out various requirements related to the appointment of ministerial staff. Who carried out checks against these requirements when appointing Deputy Prime Minister Joyce's former media adviser to positions in the offices of Minister Canavan and Nationals whip Damian Drum?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

These are two separate questions. In relation to all members and senators—Mr Drum is a member of the House of Representatives—all of us select our staff. As I've indicated to you, there is a staffing pool that is allocated to the Nationals. My advice is that the Nationals at no time exceeded the staffing pool allocated to them. All of the appointments were made in the appropriate way, consistent with all of the legal and administrative requirements.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a final supplementary question. Can the minister confirm that the Deputy Prime Minister's former media adviser was paid above the band? Who approved that payment?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister's answered the question and resumed his seat.