Senator KOVACIC (New South Wales) (15:21): I take note of Senator White's comment that this agreement was a complex set of arrangements. What isn't complex is transparency.
The definition of transparency is a:
situation in which business and financial activities are done in an open way without secrets, so that people can trust that they are fair and honest.
So, what's the situation that we have? Mr Joyce was unable to attend public hearings due to being overseas. The minister has continued to be evasive and unwilling to cooperate with the inquiry or to explain her decisions.
In fact, Minister King has failed to formally respond to the committee's request for her to appear, despite telling the media that she would front up. That's not in line with transparency.
It's up to Labor and the Greens now to support the committee's proposal to extend the select committee and ensure that Mr Joyce turns up and gives evidence before this inquiry. Or, will Labor continue its protection racket over Qantas and Mr Joyce by seeking to hide what discussions were held between the former CEO and senior government ministers and staff at the cost of Australia's travelling public during a cost-of-living crisis?
It's all from a government that has continued to promise to ease cost-of-living pressures but has continued to fail to deliver. Will Labor submit Mr Joyce to the same scrutiny that Minister King seeks to avoid?
During question time I noted that Senator Watt indicated that there hadn't been a skerrick of evidence for the questioning in relation to what actually happened between Qantas and senior government ministers.
That's because there hasn't been a skerrick of transparency. No information has come forward. Only former Qantas CEO
Mr Alan Joyce, the Prime Minister and the transport minister Catherine King can answer significant questions about the reasons why key aviation decisions were made, including the decision to reject the Qatar Airways application and to discontinue domestic airline monitoring by the ACCC.
