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A different standard

David Speers
11 February 2016

By David Speers

It’s hard to believe Stuart Robert has made it to Friday.  The fact there’s been no decision either way on his ministerial career is also curious.  Robert is a hard worker, considered by colleagues to be a decent bloke and by all accounts has been a prolific fundraiser for the Liberal Party.  But his trip to China in 2014 was clearly a breach of ministerial standards.  Unless there’s some startling secret evidence that offers him even a thread of defence, the Human Services Minister surely has to go.

Ministers face a different standard to backbench MPs.  According to section 2.1 of Malcolm Turnbull’s “Statement of Ministerial Standards”, it is “critical that ministers do not use public office for private purposes.”  Section 2.20 of the standards is even more specific: “A minister shall not act as a consultant or adviser to any company, business, or other interests, whether paid or unpaid, or provide assistance to any such body.”

So did Stuart Robert use his public office for private purposes?  Did he provide “assistance” to a company?  Here’s what we know.  Stuart Robert applied to then Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s office for “personal leave” in August 2014 to visit China, Israel and Croatia.  He made no mention of what he planned to do in these countries and wasn’t required to.  The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet recommended the leave be approved.  Neither the Department nor the Prime Minister’s Office were aware of the Minister’s itinerary for this “personal” trip.

We now know Stuart Robert spent his time in China with close friend and major Liberal Party donor Paul Marks.  The Minister attended a signing ceremony for a deal between Marks’ Nimrod Resources and the Chinese state-owned MinMetals.  He posed for official photographs and presented a pin.  The Minister and the Liberal Party donor followed this up the next day by meeting the Chinese Vice-Minister for Lands and Resources.  The Chinese Government issued a press release about the meeting, clearly under the impression Nimrod had some level of official Australian Government endorsement.  Neither the Department of Foreign Affairs nor the Department of Defence back in Australia had any idea about all this.

For an Australian government minister (who before politics served as an Army Intelligence Officer) not to inform the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister or relevant departments about a pre-arranged meeting with a Chinese Vice-Minister in Beijing suggests he had something to hide.  Based on what we know, it’s reasonable to conclude Stuart Robert was trying to help his mate further his business interests in China by lending the authority of his ministerial presence.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has insisted on due process before determining whether Stuart Robert has breached ministerial standards.  The matter was referred to the Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Department at the start of the week.  Surely, though, it shouldn’t take this long to work out whether a breach has occurred.  If the minister himself can’t remember the details of what he did and said at these functions in Beijing, DFAT is certain the Chinese officials present would have taken notes and kept records.

Turnbull’s preparedness to stand by an embattled minister may be a show of loyalty, but the longer this drags on the more it hurts the Prime Minister.  He risks looking weak and indecisive.  Still, this uncertainty won’t last much longer.  A ministerial reshuffle is set to be announced on the weekend and a decision on Stuart Robert’s fate will be known by then.

This will now be a significant reshuffle, given the resignations of Warren Truss and Andrew Robb this week.  Truss was last night replaced by Barnaby Joyce who won the National Party leadership unopposed.  He will be a very different leader than his most recent predecessors Truss, Mark Vaile, John Anderson and Tim Fischer.  Barnaby Joyce has a stronger protectionist policy streak and a rarely hides what he really thinks. His raw style of presentation cuts through in a way few politicians can and will give the Nationals a much louder voice. 

How the Turnbull-Joyce partnership will work is difficult to predict and will be fascinating to watch.  The two are very different in many ways, but could complement each other as they seek to appeal to conservatives and moderates, bush and city folk. 

A final word on Andrew Robb.  There are few genuine straight shooters in parliament, but he is certainly one.  During his 12 years in parliament he didn’t play the internal games others play, he wasn’t addicted to being on TV or being relentlessly negative about the other side.  Robb got on with the job.  Wisely, Turnbull looks set to keep him on as a “Trade Envoy” between now and the election to help whomever is appointed the new Trade Minister.  It’s a job that requires contacts, relationships and a lot of travel.  Any incoming Trade Minister would be crazy not to learn from such a predecessor.

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