The claim is **PARTIALLY TRUE** but oversimplifies the changes.
2013 2013 年 nián 12 12 月 yuè , , 总理 zǒng lǐ Tony Tony Abbott Abbott 确实 què shí 发布 fā bù 了 le 新 xīn 的 de 部长 bù zhǎng 标准 biāo zhǔn , , 改变 gǎi biàn 了 le 关于 guān yú 部长 bù zhǎng 股份 gǔ fèn 所有权 suǒ yǒu quán 的 de 要求 yāo qiú 。 。
In December 2013, Prime Minister Tony Abbott did release new ministerial standards that altered requirements regarding share ownership for ministers.
包括 bāo kuò SBS SBS 新闻 xīn wén 、 、 news news . . com com . . au au 和 hé 9News 9News 在内 zài nèi 的 de 多家 duō jiā 新闻 xīn wén 机构 jī gòu 的 de 报道 bào dào 证实 zhèng shí , , Abbott Abbott 政府 zhèng fǔ 放宽 fàng kuān 了 le 关于 guān yú 联邦 lián bāng 部长 bù zhǎng 商业利益 shāng yè lì yì 的 de 规定 guī dìng , , 允许 yǔn xǔ 他们 tā men 在 zài 特定条件 tè dìng tiáo jiàn 下 xià 持有 chí yǒu 公司 gōng sī 股份 gǔ fèn [ [ 1 1 ] ] [ [ 2 2 ] ] [ [ 3 3 ] ] 。 。
News reports from multiple outlets including SBS News, news.com.au, and 9News confirmed that the Abbott government relaxed rules regarding federal ministers' business interests, allowing them to hold company shares under certain conditions [1][2][3].
然而 rán ér , , 该 gāi 主张 zhǔ zhāng 的 de 措辞 cuò cí " " 不再 bù zài 需要 xū yào 出售 chū shòu 造成 zào chéng 利益冲突 lì yì chōng tū 的 de 股份 gǔ fèn " " 并 bìng 不 bù 准确 zhǔn què 。 。
However, the claim's phrasing "no longer have to sell shares which create a conflict of interest" is imprecise.
Abbott Abbott 的 de 准则 zhǔn zé 并未 bìng wèi 完全 wán quán 消除 xiāo chú 剥离 bō lí 造成 zào chéng 利益冲突 lì yì chōng tū 股份 gǔ fèn 的 de 要求 yāo qiú — — — — 而是 ér shì 改变 gǎi biàn 了 le 确定 què dìng 何时 hé shí 必须 bì xū 剥离 bō lí 股份 gǔ fèn 的 de 门槛 mén kǎn 和 hé 机制 jī zhì 。 。
The Abbott code did not eliminate all requirements to divest shares that created conflicts - rather, it changed the threshold and mechanisms for determining when shares must be divested.
该 gāi 主张 zhǔ zhāng 遗漏 yí lòu 了 le 关键 guān jiàn 的 de 历史背景 lì shǐ bèi jǐng : : 在 zài 前 qián 总理 zǒng lǐ John John Howard Howard 的 de 部长 bù zhǎng 行为准则 xíng wéi zhǔn zé 下 xià , , 部长 bù zhǎng 们 men " " 只 zhǐ 需 xū 出售 chū shòu 与其 yǔ qí 职责 zhí zé 范围 fàn wéi 直接 zhí jiē 相关 xiāng guān 的 de 公司 gōng sī 股份 gǔ fèn " " [ [ 4 4 ] ] 。 。
The Howard Government Precedent (1996-2007)**
The claim omits crucial historical context: under former Prime Minister John Howard's ministerial code of conduct, ministers were "simply required to sell shares in companies that came under their area of portfolio responsibility" [4].
这一 zhè yī 标准 biāo zhǔn 比 bǐ Rudd Rudd 后来 hòu lái 实施 shí shī 的 de 标准 biāo zhǔn 更为 gèng wéi 宽松 kuān sōng 。 。
This was a more permissive standard than what Rudd later implemented.
2013 2013 年 nián Abbott Abbott 的 de 变更 biàn gēng 部分 bù fèn 回到 huí dào 了 le 与 yǔ Howard Howard 时期 shí qī 做法 zuò fǎ 更为 gèng wéi 相似 xiāng sì 的 de 框架 kuāng jià 。 。
The Abbott changes in 2013 partially returned to a framework more similar to the Howard era approach.
**2.
The Rudd Labor Government's Stricter 2007 Code**
Kevin Rudd's Labor government introduced significantly stricter "Standards of Ministerial Ethics" in December 2007, which the Abbott code replaced.
Kevin Kevin Rudd Rudd 的 de 工党 gōng dǎng 政府 zhèng fǔ 在 zài 2007 2007 年 nián 12 12 月 yuè 引入 yǐn rù 了 le 更为 gèng wéi 严格 yán gé 的 de " " 部长 bù zhǎng 道德 dào dé 标准 biāo zhǔn " " , , 而 ér Abbott Abbott 的 de 准则 zhǔn zé 取代 qǔ dài 了 le 这些 zhè xiē 标准 biāo zhǔn 。 。
Under Rudd's code, ministers were "banned from owning shares unless they are held in superannuation funds, publicly-listed funds or in a trust where the minister has no influence over investment decisions" [4].
This was described at the time as requiring ministers "to conduct themselves to a higher standard of conduct than had been the case in the past" [5].
**3.
Section 8.2 required that "Ministers should ensure that dealings with lobbyists are conducted consistently with the Lobbying Code of Conduct, so that they do not give rise to a conflict between public duty and private interest" [6].
Abbott Abbott 的 de 准则 zhǔn zé 仍然 réng rán 包含 bāo hán 处理 chǔ lǐ 利益冲突 lì yì chōng tū 的 de 条款 tiáo kuǎn 。 。
The changes specifically addressed pecuniary interests and shareholdings but did not wholesale remove conflict of interest requirements.
While the factual reporting is reliable, the framing emphasizes the "winding back" of standards without fully contextualizing that this represented a return toward Howard-era standards rather than an unprecedented relaxation.
**Did Labor do something similar?**
Search conducted: "Labor government ministerial code of conduct share ownership changes comparison"
**Finding:** Labor's Rudd government actually implemented the *stricter* code that Abbott later modified.
* * * *
In 2007, Rudd introduced the "Standards of Ministerial Ethics" which explicitly banned ministers from owning most individual shares [4][5].
This was a significant tightening compared to both the preceding Howard government and the subsequent Abbott government.
**Key comparison points:**
- **Howard (1996-2007):** Ministers only had to divest shares in companies directly related to their portfolio [4]
- **Rudd/Gillard Labor (2007-2013):** Ministers banned from owning most individual shares; only superannuation, publicly-listed funds, or blind trusts allowed [4][5]
- **Abbott Coalition (2013-2015):** Relaxed to allow shareholdings in publicly listed companies [1][2]
**Assessment:** Labor's approach was demonstrably stricter on this specific issue.
* * * * 发现 fā xiàn : : * * * * 工党 gōng dǎng 的 de Rudd Rudd 政府 zhèng fǔ 实际上 shí jì shàng 实施 shí shī 了 le Abbott Abbott 后来 hòu lái 修改 xiū gǎi 的 de * * 更 gèng 严格 yán gé * * 的 de 准则 zhǔn zé 。 。
The Abbott changes represented a weakening of the standards Labor had implemented, but a return closer to Howard-era norms.
**The Policy Rationale:**
While critics viewed the Abbott changes as reducing accountability, the government likely justified the changes on practical grounds.
The Howard-era approach of case-by-case portfolio-based divestment may have been seen as more workable while still addressing direct conflicts.
**International Context:**
Australian ministerial standards are comparable to other Westminster systems.
Most comparable democracies manage ministerial conflicts through disclosure and recusal mechanisms rather than outright bans on share ownership.
* * * * 国际背景 guó jì bèi jǐng : : * * * *
The Rudd approach was actually more restrictive than many international counterparts.
**The Unaddressed Issue:**
The real test of any ministerial code is not the text but the enforcement.
As Julia Gillard noted in 2007 regarding the Howard government: "What happened with the Howard government code of conduct... it stopped living and breathing and became empty words on a sheet of paper, and even the most clear breaches of the code were no longer the subject of any punishment" [4].
The effectiveness of Abbott's code depended on whether it was actually enforced when breaches occurred.
**Subsequent History:**
The Abbott code was later modified by Malcolm Turnbull in 2018 following the Barnaby Joyce affair, with changes focusing on relationships with staffers rather than shareholdings [7].
Rudd Rudd 的 de 做法 zuò fǎ 实际上 shí jì shàng 比 bǐ 许多 xǔ duō 国际 guó jì 同类 tóng lèi 更为 gèng wéi 严格 yán gé 。 。
This suggests the share ownership issue, while contentious, was not the only or most prominent ethical concern that emerged during the Coalition years.
* * * * 未 wèi 解决 jiě jué 的 de 问题 wèn tí : : * * * * 任何 rèn hé 部长 bù zhǎng 准则 zhǔn zé 的 de 真正 zhēn zhèng 考验 kǎo yàn 不 bù 在于 zài yú 文本 wén běn 而 ér 在于 zài yú 执行 zhí xíng 。 。 正如 zhèng rú Julia Julia Gillard Gillard 在 zài 2007 2007 年 nián 谈及 tán jí Howard Howard 政府 zhèng fǔ 时所 shí suǒ 指出 zhǐ chū 的 de : : " " Howard Howard 政府 zhèng fǔ 行为准则 xíng wéi zhǔn zé 发生 fā shēng 了 le 什么 shén me … … … … 它 tā 停止 tíng zhǐ 了 le 鲜活 xiān huó 的 de 运作 yùn zuò , , 变成 biàn chéng 了 le 一张 yī zhāng 纸上 zhǐ shàng 的 de 空洞 kōng dòng 文字 wén zì , , 即使 jí shǐ 是 shì 最 zuì 明显 míng xiǎn 的 de 准则 zhǔn zé 违规行为 wéi guī xíng wéi 也 yě 不再 bù zài 受到 shòu dào 任何 rèn hé 惩罚 chéng fá " " [ [ 4 4 ] ] 。 。 Abbott Abbott 准则 zhǔn zé 的 de 有效性 yǒu xiào xìng 取决于 qǔ jué yú 在 zài 违规行为 wéi guī xíng wéi 发生 fā shēng 时 shí 是否 shì fǒu 真正 zhēn zhèng 执行 zhí xíng 。 。 * * * * 后续 hòu xù 历史 lì shǐ : : * * * * Abbott Abbott 的 de 准则 zhǔn zé 后来 hòu lái 在 zài 2018 2018 年 nián 由 yóu Malcolm Malcolm Turnbull Turnbull 在 zài Barnaby Barnaby Joyce Joyce 事件 shì jiàn 后 hòu 进行 jìn xíng 了 le 修改 xiū gǎi , , 变更 biàn gēng 重点 zhòng diǎn 是 shì 员工 yuán gōng 关系 guān xì 而 ér 非 fēi 股份 gǔ fèn 持有 chí yǒu [ [ 7 7 ] ] 。 。 这 zhè 表明 biǎo míng 股份 gǔ fèn 所有权 suǒ yǒu quán 问题 wèn tí 虽然 suī rán 存在 cún zài 争议 zhēng yì , , 但 dàn 在 zài Coalition Coalition 执政 zhí zhèng 期间 qī jiān 并非 bìng fēi 唯一 wéi yī 或 huò 最 zuì 突出 tū chū 的 de 道德 dào dé 关切 guān qiè 。 。
部分属实
5.0
/ 10
核心 hé xīn 事实 shì shí 是 shì 正确 zhèng què 的 de : : Abbott Abbott 政府 zhèng fǔ 确实 què shí 在 zài 2013 2013 年 nián 12 12 月 yuè 修改 xiū gǎi 了 le 部长 bù zhǎng 行为准则 xíng wéi zhǔn zé , , 允许 yǔn xǔ 部长 bù zhǎng 持有 chí yǒu 公开 gōng kāi 上市公司 shàng shì gōng sī 的 de 股份 gǔ fèn , , 从而 cóng ér 放宽 fàng kuān 了 le Rudd Rudd 时期 shí qī 对 duì 大多数 dà duō shù 个人 gè rén 股份 gǔ fèn 持有 chí yǒu 的 de 严格 yán gé 禁令 jìn lìng 。 。
The core fact is correct: the Abbott government did change the ministerial code of conduct in December 2013 to allow ministers to hold shares in publicly listed companies, relaxing the stricter Rudd-era ban on most individual shareholdings.
However, the claim is misleading in implying this was an unprecedented weakening of standards.
实际上 shí jì shàng , , 这 zhè 代表 dài biǎo 着 zhe 部分 bù fèn 回归 huí guī 到 dào John John Howard Howard 政府 zhèng fǔ ( ( 1996 1996 - - 2007 2007 年 nián ) ) 使用 shǐ yòng 的 de 方法 fāng fǎ , , 当时 dāng shí 部长 bù zhǎng 们 men 只 zhǐ 需 xū 剥离 bō lí 与其 yǔ qí 职责 zhí zé 范围 fàn wéi 直接 zhí jiē 相关 xiāng guān 的 de 股份 gǔ fèn 。 。
In reality, it represented a partial return to the approach used under John Howard's government (1996-2007), where ministers only had to divest shares directly related to their portfolio.
Rudd Rudd 工党 gōng dǎng 政府 zhèng fǔ 在 zài 2007 2007 年 nián 实施 shí shī 了 le 异常 yì cháng 严格 yán gé 的 de 标准 biāo zhǔn , , 而 ér Abbott Abbott 的 de 变更 biàn gēng 则 zé 回到 huí dào 了 le Howard Howard 时期 shí qī 长期存在 cháng qī cún zài 的 de 做法 zuò fǎ 。 。
The Rudd Labor government had implemented unusually strict standards in 2007, and Abbott's changes moved back toward the longer-standing Howard approach.
如果 rú guǒ 该 gāi 主张 zhǔ zhāng 承认 chéng rèn 这是 zhè shì 回归 huí guī 先前 xiān qián 的 de Coalition Coalition 做法 zuò fǎ , , 而 ér 非 fēi 对 duì 标准 biāo zhǔn 的 de 全新 quán xīn 侵蚀 qīn shí , , 那么 nà me 会 huì 更加 gèng jiā 准确 zhǔn què 。 。
The claim would be more accurate if it acknowledged this was a reversion to prior Coalition practice rather than a novel erosion of standards.
最终评分
5.0
/ 10
部分属实
核心 hé xīn 事实 shì shí 是 shì 正确 zhèng què 的 de : : Abbott Abbott 政府 zhèng fǔ 确实 què shí 在 zài 2013 2013 年 nián 12 12 月 yuè 修改 xiū gǎi 了 le 部长 bù zhǎng 行为准则 xíng wéi zhǔn zé , , 允许 yǔn xǔ 部长 bù zhǎng 持有 chí yǒu 公开 gōng kāi 上市公司 shàng shì gōng sī 的 de 股份 gǔ fèn , , 从而 cóng ér 放宽 fàng kuān 了 le Rudd Rudd 时期 shí qī 对 duì 大多数 dà duō shù 个人 gè rén 股份 gǔ fèn 持有 chí yǒu 的 de 严格 yán gé 禁令 jìn lìng 。 。
The core fact is correct: the Abbott government did change the ministerial code of conduct in December 2013 to allow ministers to hold shares in publicly listed companies, relaxing the stricter Rudd-era ban on most individual shareholdings.
However, the claim is misleading in implying this was an unprecedented weakening of standards.
实际上 shí jì shàng , , 这 zhè 代表 dài biǎo 着 zhe 部分 bù fèn 回归 huí guī 到 dào John John Howard Howard 政府 zhèng fǔ ( ( 1996 1996 - - 2007 2007 年 nián ) ) 使用 shǐ yòng 的 de 方法 fāng fǎ , , 当时 dāng shí 部长 bù zhǎng 们 men 只 zhǐ 需 xū 剥离 bō lí 与其 yǔ qí 职责 zhí zé 范围 fàn wéi 直接 zhí jiē 相关 xiāng guān 的 de 股份 gǔ fèn 。 。
In reality, it represented a partial return to the approach used under John Howard's government (1996-2007), where ministers only had to divest shares directly related to their portfolio.
Rudd Rudd 工党 gōng dǎng 政府 zhèng fǔ 在 zài 2007 2007 年 nián 实施 shí shī 了 le 异常 yì cháng 严格 yán gé 的 de 标准 biāo zhǔn , , 而 ér Abbott Abbott 的 de 变更 biàn gēng 则 zé 回到 huí dào 了 le Howard Howard 时期 shí qī 长期存在 cháng qī cún zài 的 de 做法 zuò fǎ 。 。
The Rudd Labor government had implemented unusually strict standards in 2007, and Abbott's changes moved back toward the longer-standing Howard approach.
如果 rú guǒ 该 gāi 主张 zhǔ zhāng 承认 chéng rèn 这是 zhè shì 回归 huí guī 先前 xiān qián 的 de Coalition Coalition 做法 zuò fǎ , , 而 ér 非 fēi 对 duì 标准 biāo zhǔn 的 de 全新 quán xīn 侵蚀 qīn shí , , 那么 nà me 会 huì 更加 gèng jiā 准确 zhǔn què 。 。
The claim would be more accurate if it acknowledged this was a reversion to prior Coalition practice rather than a novel erosion of standards.