Rex Patrick (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

(1) That the Senate notes—

(a) the Prime Minister's Statement of Ministerial Standards of 30 August 2018, at paragraph 2.25 concerning post-ministerial employment, states that "Ministers are required to undertake that, for an eighteen month period after ceasing to be a Minister, they will not lobby, advocate or have business meetings with members of the government, parliament, public service or defence force on any matters on which they have had official dealings as Minister in their last eighteen months in office. Ministers are also required to undertake that, on leaving office, they will not take personal advantage of information to which they have had access as a Minister, where that information is not generally available to the public";

(b) that Mr Christopher Maurice Pyne served as the Minister for Defence Industry from 19 July 2016 to 28 August 2018, and as the Minister for Defence from 28 August 2018 to 11 April 2019;

(c) that Mr Pyne has taken employment with consulting firm EY and that, in his own words, he is "looking forward to providing strategic advice to EY, as the firm looks to expand its footprint in the defence industry";

(d) that media reports indicate that AusTender government contract notices show that over the past four years EY has secured over 830 contracts with the Australian Government worth more than $370 million, including 138 contracts with the Department of Defence worth $148 million;

(e) that EY has publicly identified the Australian Government's investment in new defence capabilities, including the future submarines project and the future frigate project as major business opportunities;

(f) EY's statement that Mr Pyne will help build EY's defence-related business in South Australia and elsewhere, including helping to "lead conversations about what all states need to do to meet the challenges and opportunities this defence investment will bring";

(g) EY's subsequent statement that Mr Pyne "will not be lobbying or meeting with public sector MPs, public service or defence in his EY role" and that he will be "supporting the private sector side of the business"; and

(h) Mr Pyne's further statement that he intends "to ensure that anyone I provide advice to has rigorous processes and procedures in place to ensure that I am not put in a position where the Ministerial Code might be breached".

(2) That the following matter be referred to the Finance and Public Administration References Committee for inquiry and report by 10 September 2019:

(a) compliance by former Ministers of State with the requirements of paragraph 2.25 of the Prime Minister's Statement of Ministerial Standards, dated 30 August 2018, including, but not limited to the undertakings given by Ministers to comply with their obligations concerning post-ministerial employment, and action taken by the Prime Minister and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to ensure full compliance by former Ministers with paragraph 2.25 of the Ministerial Standards; and

(b) any related matters.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move amendments to business of the Senate notice of motion No. 1, moved by Senator Patrick.

Leave granted.

I move the amendments which have been circulated in the chamber in my name:

After subparagraph (1)(h), add:

(i) that current and previous Prime Minister's Statements of Ministerial Standards clearly provide that Ministers must act with honesty and integrity in all their activities. In particular, Ministers must:

  (i) make arrangements to avoid conflicts arising from their private interests, also having regard to interests held by family members (paragraphs 2.9 and 2.17), and

  (ii) not use public office for private purposes (paragraph 2.2);

(j) that on 19 June 2019, the Guardian reported that, while a company part-owned by Angus Taylor MP and his brother was under investigation by the Department of the Environment for alleged unlawful clearing of a critically endangered grassland species, Minister Taylor met with Department of the Environment staff. The Guardian further reported on 27 June 2019 that an investigator from the office responsible for investigating the clearing allegations was present at a meeting;

(k) that on 20 June 2019, the Guardian reported that former Minister for the Environment, Josh Frydenberg, was approached by Angus Taylor in relation to the listing of the grassland species. According to the report, Mr Frydenberg subsequently sought advice about his powers to amend the critically endangered listing; and

(l) that these meetings raise serious questions about whether such conduct complies with the Ministerial Standards.

After subparagraph (2)(a), insert:

(aa) extending the post-employment period during which former Ministers are prevented from lobbying, advocating or other activities under paragraph 2.25 of the Ministerial Standards to 5 years;

(ab) enforcement of the Ministerial Standards including, but not limited to:

  (i) actions taken in response to allegations of improper conduct or other non-compliance with the Ministerial Standards,

  (ii) investigation of allegations of improper conduct or other non-compliance with the Ministerial Standards by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet,

  (iii) investigation of allegations of misconduct or other non-compliance with the Ministerial Standards by an independent authority,

  (iv) penalties for non-compliance with the Ministerial Standards, and

  (v) any policies developed to guide implementation of the Ministerial Standards;

(ac) appointment of a Parliamentary Integrity Commissioner tasked with enforcing compliance with the Ministerial Standards;

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just want to flag that the opposition will be supporting Senator Patrick's motion. We won't be supporting the Greens' amendments. But, since this motion was lodged, the Prime Minister has provided a letter to the Senate from his departmental secretary relating to the inquiry into the compliance of former ministers Pyne and Bishop with the ministerial standards. The letter advised the Prime Minister that former Foreign Minister Bishop assured the secretary she'd had no contact with Palladium as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Yet, on 9 June 2017, former Foreign Minister Bishop appeared in a video filmed in her office and published on Palladium's Facebook page titled Australia's Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, commends Shared Value and Palladium's Business Partnership Platform. I think this does draw into question the findings relating to former Minister Bishop in the Parkinson report and supports the establishment of this inquiry. We do, however, have concerns with the Greens' amendments and won't be supporting them today.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We'll be supporting the motion by Senator Patrick for an inquiry into the conduct of former ministers Pyne and Bishop, but it's tantamount to a protection racket to look at just those two isolated cases and not at the litany of examples from both sides of the chamber where the ministerial standards have been stretched at best, whether those folk be in the ministry or former ministers. Now, the amendment that I sought to move was to include scrutiny of ministers Taylor and Frydenberg and their conduct. I understand we'll be getting an explanation from Minister Cormann on those matters tomorrow, and we look forward to those and hope it's more fulsome than the one we received today, but the other parts of the amendment were actually to expand this inquiry to look at how we fix this code: how to give it teeth, how to make sure it's enforced and how to make sure it's not just at the whim of the Prime Minister to turn a blind eye by actually having an independent body. What a disappointment that none of you actually want to look at the source of the problem. You just want to play politics with it.

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

I seek leave to make a brief statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

I thank the Senate. The government will be opposing this motion. There's absolutely no credible proposition that there has been any breach of the Statement of Ministerial Standards. In fact, the inquiry conducted independently by the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Dr Parkinson, makes clear that there hasn't been any breach. I think we've got to be very, very careful with the proposition that a minister or member of parliament leaving this parliament would be prevented from taking on any job. I mean, clearly, former ministers need to be able to continue to work and be able to earn a living. I think we'd want to be very, very careful making that impossible for people leaving in these circumstances and for businesses to employ them. What does matter, of course, is that their employment doesn't breach ministerial standards. In relation to former ministers Payne and Bishop, clearly there is no breach and there's no case for this inquiry.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind senators that we are voting on the amendment to business of the Senate item No. 1 as moved by Senator Waters. The question is that the amendment as moved by Senator Waters be agreed to.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that business of the Senate motion No. 1, as moved by Senator Patrick, be agreed to.