Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sacks Human Services Minister Stuart Robb over China trip

MALCOLM Turnbull has sacked his scandal plagued human services Minister Stuart Robert after all day meetings today in Sydney between the Prime Minister and his leadership group.

Minister for Veterans Affairs Stuart Robert during Question Time at Parliament House at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING

• Questions raised over embattled minister’s three-continent trip in 2014

MALCOLM Turnbull has sacked his scandal plagued human services Minister Stuart Robert.

The decision to finally cut the embattled minister came this afternoon following a crisis meeting last night of the Prime Minister and his leadership group.

Mr Robert had been found to have breached the ministerial code of conduct for a trip he made to China in 2014 with a mate and liberal party donor where he met with Chinese officials cdespite claiming it was for personal leave.

However, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet investigation also found that Mr Robert had innocently breached the standards and had not received any financial benefit from the trip.

A colleague of Mr Robert said it had been a “tough” decision.

Then shadow resources minister Ian Macfarlane, Li Ruipeng, then Opposition leader Tony Abbott, Liberal Party donor Paul Marks and then shadow minister Stuart Robert in June 2013.

“Malcolm has handled this as compassionately and decently as anyone could,” they said.

A statement released by the Prime Minister’s office said: “Following media reports of a visit to Beijing by the Hon. Stuart Robert MP, in accordance with the Code of Ministerial Standards, I asked the Secretary of my Department, Dr Martin Parkinson PSM, to investigate the matter and advise accordingly.

Robert was sacked after all day meetings in Sydney between the Prime Minister and his leadership group. Picture: Kym Smith

“Mr Robert advised Dr Parkinson that at the time he travelled to Beijing in August 2014 he did not believe that he had any interest in or connection to Mr Paul Marks’ company, Nimrod Resources.

“In the course of assisting the investigation, Mr Roberts advised Dr Parkinson that on checking his records he had become aware that shares in Metallum Holdings Pty Ltd, a company in which Mr Marks was also a shareholder, had been allocated to his trustee some time before the visit to Beijing.

“He told Dr Parkinson that this had been done without his knowledge. He further advised Dr Parkinson that he believed Metallum Holdings Pty Ltd had an interest in Nimrod Resources.

“Mr Robert recognised that this connection would create the impression that at the time he went to Beijing he had something personally to gain from the Nimrod Resources project.

“As a result, Mr Robert has asked me not to consider him in the pending reshuffle of the ministry. I thank him for his service as a minister and for his candid co-operation with Dr Parkinson in his inquiry.

“Dr Parkinson has given his advice to the governance subcommittee of the Cabinet.

“Dr Parkinson concluded that Mr Robert had acted inconsistently with the Statement of Ministerial Standards, although he accepts that Mr Robert may not have intended to do so.

“He also notes that Mr Robert appears not to have received any financial benefit and that the conduct in question did not directly relate to Mr Robert’s Ministerial duties.”

Originally published as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sacks Human Services Minister Stuart Robb over China trip