The embattled minister Stuart Robert has refused to say whether his application for a Chinese visa backs up his claim that his controversial 2014 trip to witness a mining deal was merely for personal purposes.

Robert, who is under intense political pressure over alleged breaches of ministerial standards, told parliament he would cooperate with an official investigation but would not be drawn on the accuracy of his previous media statements.

“I am confident I have not acted inappropriately,” the minister for human services and veterans’ affairs said, while declining to answer direct questions.



Labor devoted most of question time on Tuesday to pursuing the issue and then accused Malcolm Turnbull of failing to enforce his own standards. The prime minister said he was following “due process” in deciding on Robert’s future.

Robert is fighting to save his ministerial career after revelations of a “personal” trip to Beijing in August 2014 to celebrate a deal involving Nimrod Resources, an Australian mining company headed by major Liberal party donor Paul Marks.

The then assistant defence minister said he had “attended in a private capacity” but a media release issued by China Minmetals Corporation said Robert had extended his congratulations “on behalf of the Australian Department of Defence” and had presented “a medal bestowed to him by Australian prime minister in honour of remembrance and blessing”.

Robert – who disputes the media release – met China’s vice-minister of land and resources, Wang Min, the next day and said the Australian government welcomed mining investment, according to a Chinese government website.

A translation of the Chinese-language website suggests Nimrod Resources representatives also attended the meeting.



The shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, began a series of questions to Robert by asking whether it had been accurate for his office to say he had been on approved leave and attended in a private capacity.

Robert replied he was confident he had not acted inappropriately “regarding a visit I undertook overseas in a personal capacity in 2014”. He said he would “fully assist” the secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Martin Parkinson, who is set to report back to Turnbull on any alleged breaches.

Dreyfus followed up with three more questions to Robert, including whether his declaration on his outgoing Australian passenger card and on his Chinese visa application supported his claims and whether he had met with the Chinese vice-minister as a private citizen.

Robert said: “With great respect, I refer the member to my previous answer ... I refer the member to my previous answer ... Let me thank the member for his question and I refer the member to my previous statement.”

These responses were similar to the way in which Mal Brough dismissed detailed questions about his alleged role in the downfall of the former speaker Peter Slipper during parliamentary questions late last year.

Brough stood aside and Jamie Briggs resigned from the ministry shortly after Christmas, paving the way for a ministerial reshuffle when the Nationals leader, Warren Truss, makes a long-awaited announcement about his political future.

The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, asked Turnbull why Robert remained on the frontbench when the statement of standards banned ministers from acting “as a consultant or adviser to any company, business, or other interests, whether paid or unpaid, or provide assistance to any such body, except as may be appropriate in their official capacity as minister”.



The prime minister said he could not be accused of reacting slowly, because he had ordered Parkinson to investigate soon after the claims were reported on Monday.

“That is the correct process, that is what we are following and we are not going to deviate from the proper course of action by these sorts of opportunistic stunts, let alone being lectured by somebody who sold some of the lowest paid workers in Australia down the river,” Turnbull said.

The prime minister was referring to claims about Shorten’s conduct when he headed the Australian Workers’ Union. Shorten said Turnbull’s assertions were “entirely incorrect and he knows it”.

The “private” trip to China occurred several days before Robert was due in Singapore for official business.

Guardian Australia asked Robert whether he had undertaken the Beijing visit as a side trip to his $10,450 taxpayer-funded trip to Singapore and sought clarity about which flights were paid for by taxpayers and which flights were paid for privately.

Robert and his office did not respond to the questions, first submitted on Monday. When asked again on Tuesday about the issue, Robert’s spokesman said he would not make any further comments.

However, the Sky News presenter Peter van Onselen said he and co-host Kristina Keneally had secured an interview with Robert, which would go to air half an hour before parliamentary question time on Wednesday.

Silly questions from Labor today. Either ask the (reasonable) direct QTs re Roberts or do something else. — Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) February 9, 2016

In parliament, Labor also asked the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, and the trade minister, Andrew Robb, to explain their knowledge of elements of Robert’s trip.

Robb brushed off a question about whether AusTrade had provided any assistance in connection with the Nimrod Resources deal, noting Turnbull had “sought all information associated with the issues”.

“When that information is available, I am sure that you will hear about it,” Robb said.