QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator RUSTON (South Australia—Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (14:00): My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Mr Rhys Muldoon, who was sacked as a Labor staffer yesterday for a series of vile social media posts using racist language and sexualised language against conservative women, is a close friend of the Prime Minister, Mr Albanese.

He even attended Mr Albanese's wedding at the Lodge last year. Mr Muldoon was handed a taxpayer funded job with Labor senator Richard Dowling. Senator Dowling was very enthusiastic about this arrangement, saying: He understands politics instinctively, writes brilliantly, thinks differently to me and isn't afraid to say it.

That's exactly why I wanted to work with him. Minister, can you confirm whether Prime Minister Albanese had any involvement in Mr Muldoon obtaining his job with Senator Dowling?