Federal cabinet minister Stephen Smith insists the pecuniary interests of politicians and their previous statements have always been subject to scrutiny.
The defence minister was responding to reports a dirt unit inside the prime minister’s office has been gathering material to be used against coalition MPs.
Australians were entitled to know about any conflict of interest reflected in a parliamentary register of pecuniary interests, Mr Smith said.
Prior statements made by MPs had always been held up for scrutiny by other politicians and the media.
“That’s the sort of scrutiny that has been going on for a long time,” he told Sky News on Friday.
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