The public service, not ministers, remains Australia's corruption risk

By The Canberra Times
Updated April 24 2018 - 10:07pm, first published February 16 2016 - 8:45am

The Labor Party will do its best to ensure that the whiff of Stuart Robert's political carcass clings to Malcolm Turnbull. Yet the stink likely won't stick, and nor necessarily should it. Labor criticised the Prime Minister throughout last week for not sacking Mr Robert immediately upon claims emerging that the then human services minister had travelled to China to stitch up a business deal for a mate, Paul Marks, who is also a generous Liberal donor. Mr Turnbull waited until his departmental secretary had investigated Mr Robert's conduct. This might have seemed like equivocation but, ultimately, the right decision was made: Mr Robert, who had a financial stake in the business he was helping, lost his spot on the frontbench. He may now be investigated by federal police.

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