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| Labor maintains pressure over Stuart Robert's China trip – politics live | Labor maintains pressure over Stuart Robert's China trip – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 9.41pm GMT | |
| 21:41 | |
| The shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus has surfaced now in the Sky News studios. He’s asked whether it is possible that the Chinese officials just misinterpreted Stuart Robert’s appearance at a contract signing. | |
| Dreyfus doesn’t think so. | |
| He (Robert) has misused his public office. I think that is absolutely clear. I don’t accept for a moment he went in a private capacity. The only proper approach was not to be there at all. | |
| Q: Does it warrant sacking? | |
| It’s a clear breach of ministerial standards. Mr Turnbull needs to show some leadership. | |
| Q: You are stopping short then of calling for him to be sacked? | |
| It’s the clearest possible breach of ministerial standards. We need a full [explanatory] statement [of the conduct] and that’s what should happen today. | |
| 9.33pm GMT | |
| 21:33 | |
| As far as I am aware, Robert has made no public statements since the story of his 2014 travels surfaced yesterday in the Herald Sun, but a copy of his letter to the prime minister yesterday has been circulated. I’ll transcribe it here so you are across the contents. | |
| Dear Malcolm, | |
| As you are aware certain questions have arisen publicly regarding a visit I undertook overseas in a personal capacity in 2014. I am confident that I have not acted inappropriately but I am cognisant of the high standards expected of all ministers and I write to ask you to seek advice from the secretary of the department of prime minister and cabinet on these matters. I will, of course, fully assist the secretary. | |
| Yours sincerely, | |
| Stuart Robert | |
| 9.27pm GMT | |
| 21:27 | |
| Daniel Hurst | |
| Morning, just a quick overnight report on Stuart Robert. In Senate estimates some senators sought to find out how the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet would handle the investigation into the possible breach of ministerial standards. | |
| Alas, most of the questions went unanswered on the basis the prime minister had only just put in the request that afternoon. Labor’s deputy Senate leader, Stephen Conroy, wanted to know if Robert would be interviewed personally and whether the full transcript of his controversial speech at the mining celebration in Beijing would be released publicly. The PM&C deputy secretary, Elizabeth Kelly, told the committee she was yet to talk to the newly appointed secretary, Martin Parkinson, about the way in which he wanted to proceed: “I don’t think there is a usual process. The secretary’s advice is sought, the secretary then determines the appropriate way to inform himself.” | |
| Kelly confirmed Robert’s request for personal leave from 15 to 22 August 2014 had been approved by the former prime minister, Tony Abbott. (The mining event that he said he attended in a “private capacity” occurred on 18 August 2014.) As for the claim that Robert bestowed a medal on behalf of the prime minister, Kelly said she was unaware of the existence of such a medal: “I’m not familiar with such a thing.” | |
| 9.22pm GMT | |
| 21:22 | |
| I’ll come back to some necessary bits and pieces about Stuart Robert but first, an update on the other major themes of this morning. | |
| My neighbour, the West Australian’s political editor, Andrew Probyn, helpfully reminds us about a privatisation proposal we’d all almost forgotten about: a proposal that Medicare, pharmaceutical and aged-care benefits be delivered in the future by the private sector. (From memory, this idea first appeared in Tony Abbott’s commission of audit report.) | |
| Andrew reports this morning “that planning for the ambitious but politically risky outsourcing of government payments is well-advanced, with a view to making it a key feature of treasurer Scott Morrison’s first budget in May.” | |
| Shorten’s nostrils flared happily at the mere mention of the word Medicare this morning. He’s declared if the prime minister wants to have an election on Medicare, then B-I-O-B. (Bring it on, baby.) | |
| With the “closing the gap” statement to parliament due this week, my colleague Bridie Jabour has a curtain raiser. | |
| The latest State of Reconciliation in Australia report finds that thirty per cent of the general Australian community socialise with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and while support for reconciliation is increasing, the government needs a more focused policy approach. While government intentions for Indigenous Australians were sound, there was only a “piecemeal” approach in policy. | |
| There is a breakfast on this morning in the parliament to mark the release of this report. Indigenous leaders have already hit the airwaves to call on the new prime minister to engage on Indigenous affairs. | |
| 9.02pm GMT | 9.02pm GMT |
| 21:02 | 21:02 |
| Good morning good people and welcome to Tuesday. | Good morning good people and welcome to Tuesday. |
| The prime minister has barely had time to clear the rowing machine and mop his brow before Labor is unloading on every open microphone about Turnbull’s (insert your adjective of choice) human services minister, Stuart Robert. | The prime minister has barely had time to clear the rowing machine and mop his brow before Labor is unloading on every open microphone about Turnbull’s (insert your adjective of choice) human services minister, Stuart Robert. |
| Readers with me yesterday will know Robert is in the soup courtesy of a trip he took to China with a mining mate and generous donor to the Liberal party in order to witness a commercial agreement. The prime minister has asked his departmental head to report to him about whether the trip constitutes a breach of the ministerial code, which forbids ministers acting as “a consultant or adviser to any company, business, or other interests, whether paid or unpaid, or provide assistance to any such body, except as may be appropriate in their official capacity as minister.” | Readers with me yesterday will know Robert is in the soup courtesy of a trip he took to China with a mining mate and generous donor to the Liberal party in order to witness a commercial agreement. The prime minister has asked his departmental head to report to him about whether the trip constitutes a breach of the ministerial code, which forbids ministers acting as “a consultant or adviser to any company, business, or other interests, whether paid or unpaid, or provide assistance to any such body, except as may be appropriate in their official capacity as minister.” |
| As we launch this morning Bill Shorten is on Radio National and the shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, is down at the House doors declaring Robert has questions to answer. Adding to the story, the Australian Financial Review is also reporting this morning the minister “met with a senior Chinese minister to discuss Chinese investment in Australia” while on the trip, which Robert has thus far characterised as a self-funded private holiday. | |
| Shorten spoke to reporters before entering the ABC studios, noting “the Stuart Robert scandal is going to become a test of Malcolm Turnbull” – before adding that the prime minister “has lost more ministers than he’s released tax policies.” (You see what he did there, right?) | Shorten spoke to reporters before entering the ABC studios, noting “the Stuart Robert scandal is going to become a test of Malcolm Turnbull” – before adding that the prime minister “has lost more ministers than he’s released tax policies.” (You see what he did there, right?) |
| Once seated in the ABC studio, Shorten noted to his host Fran Kelly “the signs aren’t promising for one of Malcolm Turnbull’s ministers. There’s a lot of explanation required. The opposition is not satisfied that we know all the facts and we will not rest until we do.” | Once seated in the ABC studio, Shorten noted to his host Fran Kelly “the signs aren’t promising for one of Malcolm Turnbull’s ministers. There’s a lot of explanation required. The opposition is not satisfied that we know all the facts and we will not rest until we do.” |
| That gives you an opening picture for the day. Let’s sail forth into this bracing headwind and the million other things I’ve not yet told you about. You can sail forth in the thread, which is now open for your jolly business. You can also reach the Marvellous Mikearoo and I on the twits. He’s @mpbowers and @murpharoo | That gives you an opening picture for the day. Let’s sail forth into this bracing headwind and the million other things I’ve not yet told you about. You can sail forth in the thread, which is now open for your jolly business. You can also reach the Marvellous Mikearoo and I on the twits. He’s @mpbowers and @murpharoo |
| Pop on your life jackets. Here comes Tuesday. | Pop on your life jackets. Here comes Tuesday. |
| Updated | |
| at 9.29pm GMT |