Increase in annual pay packets began from 1 August. Follow updates
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
Gosling doesn’t need to be stood down from special envoy role, says Butler
The health minister, Mark Butler, has rejected calls for the prime minister to stand down Luke Gosling, who has been charged with assault by police against the NT administrator.
It’s important to remember what the job of special envoy is. It’s not a ministerial position. It doesn’t have any executive authority, any ability to make decisions that impact Australians, of course, as you know, if he were a minister, he would be required to stand aside.
You’re not required to stand down as a member of Parliament if you’re charged. Obviously, there are some provisions around conviction, but he is really just a backbench member of Parliament. He is not a member of the executive, and that is a fundamental distinction in the separation of powers.
Continue reading...This article was originally published by The Guardian and written by Kat Wong.
Read original article on The Guardian