TRANSCRIPT - DOORSTOP, CANBERRA

PAUL FLETCHER MP

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

TRANSCRIPT

DOORSTOP INTERVIEW

8 September 2022

Topics: Ministerial Code, Minister McBain, Assistant Minister Kearney, Cost of Living

FLETCHER: I just want to make some comments about the Prime Minister’s ministerial code. The Prime Minister and the Labor Party campaigned on a platform of bringing new levels of integrity and transparency to government and just a few weeks ago Prime Minister released his ministerial code which amongst other things contains a blanket prohibition on ministers owning shares and very significant restrictions on when ministers may own managed funds or unit trusts. Now over the last couple of days in the parliament in Question Time we have asked a number of questions about the Minister for Regional Development holding shares, she’s admitted that she held shares, she then transferred them to her husband, holding shares was a breach of the ministerial code, transferring them to her husband was not a satisfactory way to resolve the breach. Indeed the code is very specific on that, you cannot resolve a breach of the ministerial code by transferring shares to a family member as so far we’ve not had satisfactory answers from the Prime Minister nor from the Minister for Regional Development, there’s been no referral of this matter to the Secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet, we have not had it explained as to why this is not a matter that should be of concern, of course this builds on questions about shareholdings held by other ministers such as Bill Shorten and Tim Ayres, we’ve now seen reports about funds, managed funds, owned Assistant Minister Ged Kearney which has significant shareholdings in listed Australian healthcare and private health insurance companies, and yet Minister Kearney had said there’s nothing to say here. We need to see the Prime Minister and his Ministers demonstrate that they are taking compliance with the ministerial code seriously, the Prime Minister talked a great deal about integrity and accountability and he needs to explain how his code operates, how he’s satisfied that his ministers are in compliance with it, his ministers need to explain how that satisfied themselves that they are in compliance with the code. We heard a lot from Mr Albanese about campaigning about new standards of integrity and accountability. This is now the first test, with a significant number of questions being asked about compliance with the ministerial code, this is a test about whether the Prime Minister whether the Albanese Labor Government are going to live up to their rhetoric on transparency and accountability or whether in fact as presently seems to be the case there are no sanctions for breaching the ministerial code and if all that’s required is for minister to say I don’t think there’s a problem and we move on. That appears to be the approach that’s a huge gap between what Mr Albanese campaigned on and the way that the Albanese Labor Government is conducting itself on this matter.

QUESTION: We’re going to hear from the RBA Governor today about the state of the economy and forecasts, he got it badly wrong last year do you have confidence that he’ll get it right this time?

FLETCHER: The RBA is an independent, respected institution, its independence needs to be respected I won’t be commenting on the RBA Governor, just to say he’s got a very important job and we are seeing significant pressures on cost of living which are affecting Australians and the real question is for the Treasurer and for the Albanese Labor Government - what is the plan to deal with the cost of living crisis that Australians are facing. Thanks very much.

[ENDS]

Further information: Jack Abadee 0403 440 099