Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development (Senate)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Finance and the Public Service, Senator Cormann. On Monday, 20 August, the minister told the Senate:

… I support Prime Minister Turnbull 100 per cent.

On Tuesday, 21 August, the minister told the Senate:

I support Prime Minister Turnbull.

On Wednesday, 22 August, the minister said, and I quote, 'I support Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister.' But the very same day, the minister offered his resignation and called on Malcolm Turnbull to resign. Minister, what changed?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All of these statements were, of course, entirely accurate at the time.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know that the Labor Party thinks that this is all very humorous. I explained my position, my judgements and the reasons for my judgements openly and transparently all the way through. I indeed offered my resignation, which is a matter of public record. Indeed, I did resign, as you might recall. I sat over there on the backbench on the Thursday of the last sitting fortnight because I followed through on my judgements at the time. Since then, a new leader was elected. We have a new Prime Minister. We're getting on with the job. I know that the Labor Party's only interested in politics.

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

Senator Sterle, a supplementary question?

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development (Senate)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nine days after declaring he supported Prime Minister Turnbull 100 per cent, the minister said, and I quote, 'I 100 per cent support Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg.' Why should Prime Minister Morrison trust the minister's 100 per cent guarantee when, clearly, Malcolm Turnbull couldn't?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Malcolm Turnbull could, until I advised him openly and very clearly—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor Party's interested in playing politics. We are actually interested in working for the Australian people. We've got national accounts which show that the economy is stronger and that more jobs are being created. We've got a budget that is clearly in a better position. That is as a result of our work as a coalition government over the last five years. No wonder the Labor Party don't want to talk about policy, the economy or jobs, because, of course, they left behind a disastrous situation, a deteriorating situation. We had to work hard to turn the situation around. We are continuing to work hard for the Australian people to ensure that the economy remains strong, that Australians remain safe and that we can keep Australians together. Labor is all about dividing people. They're all about— (Time expired)

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

Senator Sterle, a final supplementary question?

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development (Senate)) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How can Australians trust the Minister for Finance and the Public Service when the previous Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, couldn't trust him to keep his word from one day to the next?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand by the judgements that I made. I stand by the way I've conducted myself. I sought to handle a difficult situation with integrity, with openness and with transparency and as honourably as you possibly can in these sorts of circumstances. The Labor Party can continue to play games with these things. I at all times sought to do the right thing for the right reasons in the right way, but this is ultimately a matter for others to judge.