Australian minister resigns for breaching code of conduct

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull released on Friday the findings of an investigation into the trip and confirmed Mr Robert had asked not to be considered for a ministerial position in the pending reshuffle.

The opposition insists Mr Robert must go, arguing he breached the code of conduct by helping businessman and Liberal Party donor Paul Marks secure a mining deal with the Chinese in August 2014 when he was assistant minister for defence.

Despite saying he was in China in a “personal capacity”, Mr Robert also had a meeting with a Chinese government minister.

The investigation found Mr Robert had an interest in a company that signed a mining deal at a ceremony in Beijing, which he attended.

While the probe concluded the minister acted inconsistently with ministerial standards, the investigator accepted that Robert “may not have meant to do so”, Turnbull said in an e-mailed statement Friday.

Following the investigation, the former minister asked Turnbull to not consider him for a portfolio in the reshuffle over the weekend, according to the statement.

But the minister acknowledged to the inquiry Metallum Holdings Pty Ltd had an interest in Nimrod Resources.

“Can someone please tell me what the crime is here?” he said.

Yesterday the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) says Chinese officials believed they were meeting Mr Robert in an official capacity when he travelled to Beijing past year.

Human Services Minister Stuart Robert has quit the frontbench, the latest minister in the Liberal Party to step down.

Mr Robert was defended by fellow ministers including the new Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce. Bowen said Treasurer Scott Morrison – who is close to Robert – had overnight gone in to bat for Robert “for internal factional reasons”.

Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen said there was “open warfare” between Mr Turnbull and some of his front bench.

Despite facing a series of questions about the matter, Mr Robert repeatedly referred all Opposition queries to a previous answer he gave parliament that he believed he did not behave “inappropriately”.

Mr Robert also met Chinese Government officials during the visit.