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senate vote 2018-02-15#5
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2023-07-21 12:38:17
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Title
Motions — Deputy Prime Minister- Motions - Deputy Prime Minister - Let a vote happen
Description
<p class="speaker">Richard Di Natale</p><p>I seek leave to move a motion relating to the breaching of the standards required of ministers by the Deputy Prime Minister.</p>-
- The majority voted in favour of a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2018-02-15.288.2) to suspend the usual procedural rules - known as standing order - to let another vote take place. It was introduced by Victorian Senator [Richard Di Natale](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/victoria/richard_di_natale) (Greens).
- ### Motion text
- > *That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to give precedence to a motion relating to the breaching of the standards required of ministers by the Deputy Prime Minister.*
<p>Leave not granted.</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to give precedence to a motion relating to the breaching of the standards required of ministers by the Deputy Prime Minister.</p><p>Mr President, the behaviour and actions of the Deputy Prime Minister have brought the office of the Deputy Prime Minister into disrepute. This happens at a time when trust in politics is at an all-time low, when people have had a gutful of the behaviour of people in this place, and yet here we see a Prime Minister where questions are raised around due process, conflict of interest and the inappropriate use of taxpayer funds. What the Deputy Prime Minister chooses to do in his own time is his own business. We do note that this is a very difficult time for his family and indeed his new partner. But the reality now remains that there are serious questions about the conduct of the Deputy Prime Minister.</p><p>We know that arrangements have been made by the Deputy Prime Minister to place his new partner into highly paid positions within the National Party's parliamentary staff. We know the Prime Minister's own ministerial code of conduct states very, very clearly that partners shouldn't be offered positions within other ministerial offices. Of course, part of this hinges on whether the person in question was the Deputy Prime Minister's partner. Well, forgive me, but to try and avoid responsibility for fulfilling the ministerial code on the basis of whether she was technically his partner because he was in an ongoing relationship with his wife does not pass the common sense test. There is a serious question around whether he breached those standards.</p><p>Today we learnt from reports that it appears that the Deputy Prime Minister solicited a gift of free rental accommodation worth in the order of $12,000, again appearing to be a clear breach of the Prime Minister's statement. Worse still, when asked about this he told the parliament today that the person in question, his friend, approached him, offering to do him a favour. We know, however, from when he was asked about this several days ago, that it was Barnaby Joyce that approached Greg Maguire—the person in question, the so-called friend—to solicit some help in finding accommodation. It does appear that today the Deputy Prime Minister has misled the parliament.</p><p>We further learnt that this individual, who clearly stands to benefit from decisions that have been made by Barnaby Joyce, may have already been the beneficiary of decisions by the Deputy Prime Minister, in that some of the accommodation that he owns may have already benefited from a government contract. That is a clear conflict of interest if indeed that is the case.</p><p>We also learnt today that there are further revelations that the Deputy Prime Minister was paid by the Nationals to run for the recent by-election in New England. This is remarkable. The Deputy Prime Minister of the country, who is on almost $500,000, is paid a salary by the National Party to conduct a by-election campaign. It is utterly remarkable that the Nationals would think it was appropriate to cover the salary of somebody who was so incompetent. He was found to be a dual citizen. He denied it initially, sat on it and continued to be a minister. And what do the National Party do? They reward him for his incompetence.</p><p>We should also remember that the reason we are in the mess we are in with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is because Deputy Prime Minister Joyce has been so incompetent. This is a man whose hypocrisy knows no bounds. He took time during the debate around marriage equality to lecture us on family values and how important it was to ensure that we respect those values—of course, knowing all the while that he wasn't living up to them.</p><p>But that is not the reason for this suspension here today. The reason for this suspension is that there are serious questions about due process, about the potential for conflict of interest and, of course, about the appropriate use of taxpayer funds. All of this could be resolved, every last question right now could be resolved, if we had a national anti-corruption body. These are precisely the sorts of allegations that should be referred to a national anti-corruption body because there are serious questions now for the Deputy Prime Minister to answer.</p><p>One of the Deputy Prime Minister's primary functions is to serve as Prime Minister when the Prime Minister is on leave. We now learn that Deputy Prime Minister will be missing in action next week, and that honour will be handed over to Senator Cormann. That's simply not good enough. If he's not up to the job to be Prime Minister, he needs to go, and the Nationals need to sack him. <i>(Time expired)</i></p> <p class="speaker">Sue Lines</p><p>Senator Di Natale, could you please provide the Senate with a signed suspension motion. Senator Wong.</p> <p class="speaker">Penny Wong</p><p>I will outline why Labor is supporting this proposition. On Wednesday next week Mr Turnbull will leave Australia for the United States but Australia's Deputy Prime Minister will not be the Acting Prime Minister. That is because this government knows how untenable it is for him to act as the Prime Minister. In fact, the government's own decision underlines how untenable it is for Mr Joyce to hold any ministerial office—</p><p class="italic">Senator O'Sullivan interjecting—</p><p>and it underlines that the Prime Minister knows this. If he can't be the Acting Prime Minister, why is he still in his job?</p><p>The Deputy Prime Minister has repeatedly demonstrated a failure to abide by the standards demanded of ministers. That disqualifies him from any ministerial office, let alone acting as Prime Minister of Australia. I make very clear at the outset that I make no judgement—</p><p>Government senators interjecting—</p> <p class="speaker">Sue Lines</p><p>Senator Wong, please resume your seat. I remind senators, particularly Senator O'Sullivan, that Senator Wong has the right to be heard in silence. I would ask you to respect that. Senator Cameron?</p> <p class="speaker">Doug Cameron</p><p>Madam Deputy President, I ask Senator O'Sullivan to withdraw the accusation he made against Senator Wong.</p><p class="italic">Senator O'Sullivan interjecting—</p> <p class="speaker">Sue Lines</p><p>Senator O'Sullivan, I did hear the comment you made, I would ask you to withdraw it without repeating the offence.</p> <p class="speaker">Barry O'Sullivan</p><p>I withdraw.</p> <p class="speaker">Sue Lines</p><p>Thank you, Senator O'Sullivan. Senator Wong.</p> <p class="speaker">Penny Wong</p><p>I want to make very clear that I make no judgement, nor any comment whatsoever, about Mr Joyce's personal life. I make no judgement about him as a husband nor as a father. What we are asserting is that, in his professional capacity as a minister, Mr Joyce has failed to adhere to the standards that one expects of a minister. The foreword to the statement of ministerial standards makes this crystal clear. It declares that 'ministers must act in a manner consistent with high standards of integrity and propriety'. It also says that 'ministers shall conduct themselves in a manner that will ensure public confidence in them and in the government'. I think even Mr Joyce's most loyal supporters could not, and would not, reasonably assert that he has acted in a manner consistent with the highest standards of integrity and probity and conducted himself in a manner that will ensure public confidence either in himself or in the government.</p><p>The revelations this morning that Mr Joyce sought, and was subsequently offered, rent-free, an apartment from a prominent local business man is evidence of this. The statement of standards states:</p><p class="italic">Ministers … must not seek or encourage any form of gift in their personal capacity.</p><p>Mr Joyce's claim today that he did not seek the apartment has been directly contradicted by two journalists, who spoke directly to the owner of the apartment. And, even if we were to accept Mr Joyce's version of events, what is not in dispute is that he continues to benefit from the gift to this day. One is reminded of the $40,000 gift from Ms Gina Rinehart.</p><p>Secondly, it has been confirmed in this chamber this week that the former staffer that Mr Joyce has now made clear he is in a relationship with was subsequently employed, with the involvement of Mr Joyce's office, by two other senior members of the National Party. Again, I make no comment on the fact of the relationship. What I refer to is the Statement of Ministerial Standards, which is very clear on these facts:</p><p class="italic">Ministers' close relatives and partners are not to be appointed to positions in their ministerial or electorate offices, and must not be employed in the offices of other members of the executive government without the Prime Minister's express approval.</p><p>The Deputy Prime Minister and Mr Turnbull try to use a legalistic argument to evade culpability by arguing over the time at which Mr Joyce's former staffer came to be officially regarded as a partner. Can I say this: these are legalistic arguments which ignore the central issue, which is the principle that the standards uphold. There are sound reasons as to why these standards exist and why the safeguards, prohibitions and guidelines in them exist. The principle that is sought to be upheld here is one of the avoidance of conflict of interest. It is so the public can be assured that there is no conflict of interest in the appointment of persons to taxpayer-funded positions. And, frankly, it is also to ensure that those close to us are not exposed to unwanted public scrutiny that such suggestion of partiality would attract, and we have, I think, seen that this week.</p><p>Most importantly, these actions do not pass the Prime Minister's own test:</p><p class="italic">Ministers … must act in a manner that is consistent with the highest standards of integrity and propriety … and … conduct themselves in a manner that will ensure public confidence in them and in the government.</p><p>The sad reality is—and I wish the National Party could see this—Mr Joyce's position is untenable. It is unthinkable at this time that he can act in any ministerial office, as is demonstrated by the fact that the government itself cannot appoint him to be the Acting Prime Minister. Mr Joyce has failed to live up to the standards that Australians rightly expect of ministers. It is right that the Senate today expresses its view that Mr Joyce must resign, and he should resign today.</p> <p class='motion-notice motion-notice-truncated'>Long debate text truncated.</p>-
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