Robert’s sacking took too long: Shorten

Human Services Minister Stuart Robert has been forced to resign from the frontbench after an investigation found he had “acted inconsistently” with ministerial standards.

An investigation headed by the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Martin Parkinson, found that Mr Robert’s was an indirect shareholder in Nimrod Resources.

Mr Robert, the human services minister who was a junior defence minister in August 2014, had the approval of then-prime minister Tony Abbott to take a personal trip to Beijing.

Mr Robert has faced pressure over what he has said was a “personal trip” to China to attend a signing ceremony between Chinese state-owned MinMetals and Liberal donor Paul Marks’s Nimrod Resources.

Mr Robert’s removal will be included in a broad ministerial reshuffle following the retirement announcements from former Nationals leader Warren Truss and Trade Minister Andrew Robb.

Mr Varghese said they were questions of judgement for the Minister. Parkinson also noted that Robert appeared not to have received any financial benefit and that his conduct did not directly relate to his ministerial duties.

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

After a week of attacks, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten led more attacks on Mr Robert in parliament on Thursday, asking a series of questions about Mr Robert’s trip to China.

Mr Joyce defended Mr Robert on Friday morning, telling the Nine Network he had committed no crime.

“What we have here is allegations he met people”, Mr Joyce said. “Once all the details become apparent you’ve got to say “sorry, goodnight Irene”. Bowen said Treasurer Scott Morrison – who is close to Robert – had overnight gone in to bat for Robert “for internal factional reasons”. He took representatives from Nimrod – presumably Mr Marks – into the meeting with Wang Min.

Robert, 45, stood down after Turnbull launched a probe into revelations the minister promoted an Australian company’s business interests while on vacation in China, leading to accusations by the Labor opposition that he breached protocol through a conflict of interest.

Mr Robert also met Chinese Government officials during the visit.