Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When I was asked by the media on Monday what I thought about the government knocking back Qatar Airways' request for more flights in Australia, I said I wasn't sure. I said that I was worried about the potential impacts on regional areas. I said I needed to consult with smaller airlines. That's what I do. It's my job to consult with industry and organisations that might be impacted by a government decision that's being made. So that's what I did on Monday. I jumped on the phone and I talked to the other airlines, who all thanked me for consulting with them, because—guess what?—the transport minister didn't do any consulting except, apparently, with Qantas.

Catherine King is the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. A total of $225 billion has been allocated by this government for infrastructure. So are you seriously telling me that the minister responsible for dishing out billions of dollars of taxpayer money isn't consulting with industry? You have to be kidding me today! Once again, we have a transparency issue. What's new in here? The minister says the unacceptable strip searching of women was one factor, but we still do not know today what the other factors were. Seriously! The minister says she made the decision in the national interest. Really? She's now had four days and she still can't tell us what those national interests were.

I would have thought that it was in the national interest to do your due diligence and consult. That would have been in the national interest. Get out there and do your job. If I can do it then you can do it. We crossbenchers don't have the luxury of having just one portfolio, I can assure you. We have to be across everything, with just two advisers, and the minister has four whole departments to back her up. Figure it out, Catherine, and do your job!