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| Barnaby Joyce denies changing Hansard before department head fired | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Barnaby Joyce has rejected suggestions that he changed the Hansard in a dispute which led to the agriculture department secretary, Paul Grimes, being sacked. | Barnaby Joyce has rejected suggestions that he changed the Hansard in a dispute which led to the agriculture department secretary, Paul Grimes, being sacked. |
| Grimes was sacked in March last year because of a relationship breakdown with his minister, Joyce. | Grimes was sacked in March last year because of a relationship breakdown with his minister, Joyce. |
| On Monday, after fighting freedom of information requests for more than a year, the government released a letter in which Grimes told Joyce he could no longer work with Joyce as agriculture minister “to resolve matters of integrity”. | On Monday, after fighting freedom of information requests for more than a year, the government released a letter in which Grimes told Joyce he could no longer work with Joyce as agriculture minister “to resolve matters of integrity”. |
| At the time of the dispute, Grimes said the Hansard dispute was part of the reason for the relationship breakdown. | At the time of the dispute, Grimes said the Hansard dispute was part of the reason for the relationship breakdown. |
| But on Thursday Joyce denied the breakdown was related to the dispute in which the Hansard was changed after an answer on drought funding. | But on Thursday Joyce denied the breakdown was related to the dispute in which the Hansard was changed after an answer on drought funding. |
| Joyce told parliament in 2014: “On 20 October 2014 I understand a request for minor edits was made to Hansard by my staff without my knowledge. My staff have been counselled.” | Joyce told parliament in 2014: “On 20 October 2014 I understand a request for minor edits was made to Hansard by my staff without my knowledge. My staff have been counselled.” |
| Joyce told ABC radio on Thursday: “The only thing I don’t like is this insinuation that I changed the Hansard. | Joyce told ABC radio on Thursday: “The only thing I don’t like is this insinuation that I changed the Hansard. |
| “I never did. I never changed the Hansard, and when I subsequently found out the Hansard had been changed, we had it changed back.” | “I never did. I never changed the Hansard, and when I subsequently found out the Hansard had been changed, we had it changed back.” |
| Labor has accused Joyce of having Grimes sacked but Joyce said he did not sack department secretaries. It was done by the secretary of prime minister and cabinet. | Labor has accused Joyce of having Grimes sacked but Joyce said he did not sack department secretaries. It was done by the secretary of prime minister and cabinet. |
| Under section 59 of the Public Service Act a department secretary can be sacked by the prime minister, on the advice of the relevant minister, after the prime minister receives reports from the secretary of his own department and the public service commissioner. | Under section 59 of the Public Service Act a department secretary can be sacked by the prime minister, on the advice of the relevant minister, after the prime minister receives reports from the secretary of his own department and the public service commissioner. |
| Grimes has not spoken publicly and has not returned Guardian Australia’s calls. | Grimes has not spoken publicly and has not returned Guardian Australia’s calls. |
| Joyce said the relationship breakdown arose after the high pressure environment during the agriculture white paper process. | Joyce said the relationship breakdown arose after the high pressure environment during the agriculture white paper process. |
| “Within that confines the tempers get frayed, the issues get heated,” he said. “By reason of that letter you can see the relationship broke down. | “Within that confines the tempers get frayed, the issues get heated,” he said. “By reason of that letter you can see the relationship broke down. |
| “I think Dr Grimes is a good ‘fella’ and I think he going to go out and do good things. It’s stating the bleeding obvious that the relationship had moved on and everybody had to have alternative arrangements.” | “I think Dr Grimes is a good ‘fella’ and I think he going to go out and do good things. It’s stating the bleeding obvious that the relationship had moved on and everybody had to have alternative arrangements.” |
| He also defended his speech to the National Farmers Federation congress on Wednesday in which he questioned foreign investment and equated Labor’s policies as communist in front of the Chinese ambassador. | He also defended his speech to the National Farmers Federation congress on Wednesday in which he questioned foreign investment and equated Labor’s policies as communist in front of the Chinese ambassador. |
| Asked if it was appropriate, Joyce said: “I think China more than anybody is moving towards a market economy. | Asked if it was appropriate, Joyce said: “I think China more than anybody is moving towards a market economy. |
| “Ever since Deng Xiaoping decided that that was the direction they would go they have been exceptionally good at it.” | “Ever since Deng Xiaoping decided that that was the direction they would go they have been exceptionally good at it.” |
| Joyce said although it would always remain the case that foreign investment was necessary to fuel growth, “preference number one is the Australian people as the owner of the Australian assets”. | Joyce said although it would always remain the case that foreign investment was necessary to fuel growth, “preference number one is the Australian people as the owner of the Australian assets”. |
| “Private ownership fundamentally underpins new attachment to an asset ...,” he said. “I think you love things more if you own them than if the only position you have in life is renting it ... | “Private ownership fundamentally underpins new attachment to an asset ...,” he said. “I think you love things more if you own them than if the only position you have in life is renting it ... |
| “We have the treasurer out the other day saying basically it’s about home ownership. He didn’t say there’s a problem with home renting.” | “We have the treasurer out the other day saying basically it’s about home ownership. He didn’t say there’s a problem with home renting.” |
| The opposition spokesman on agriculture, Joel Fitzgibbon, addressed the congress on Thursday, and praised it for its positive messages on foreign investment, contrasting its stance with the National party leader’s speech the previous day. | The opposition spokesman on agriculture, Joel Fitzgibbon, addressed the congress on Thursday, and praised it for its positive messages on foreign investment, contrasting its stance with the National party leader’s speech the previous day. |
| “Playing to populist community concern is a zero sum game,” Fitzgibbon said. | “Playing to populist community concern is a zero sum game,” Fitzgibbon said. |
| “Everything we do and say as industry and political leaders must be designed to help people understand why foreign investment is so important and to build community confidence in it. | “Everything we do and say as industry and political leaders must be designed to help people understand why foreign investment is so important and to build community confidence in it. |
| “I congratulate the leadership of the NFF on this front. Your positive messaging on foreign investment has been clear and consistent.” | “I congratulate the leadership of the NFF on this front. Your positive messaging on foreign investment has been clear and consistent.” |
| Fitzgibbon called for bipartisanship on foreign investment, given Australia’s small population and limited savings pool. | Fitzgibbon called for bipartisanship on foreign investment, given Australia’s small population and limited savings pool. |
| “With a population of only 23 million, we have a limited savings pool, and by necessity much of the investment will come from foreign sources,” he said. | “With a population of only 23 million, we have a limited savings pool, and by necessity much of the investment will come from foreign sources,” he said. |
| “No area of public policy is more deserving of bipartisanship than this one. Our language and rules must be clear, concise and consistent.” | “No area of public policy is more deserving of bipartisanship than this one. Our language and rules must be clear, concise and consistent.” |