The Honourable Arthur Sinodinos AO, Assistant Treasurer, was not “on the panel”. He was there as a witness, representing the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development (who is a member of the House of Reps and therefore does not condescend to appear before a Committee comprising unrepresentative swill).
The Minister representing’s job was to do what his tweedle dum predecessor from Labor did: Defend CASA and ATSB.
If you think about it, you’ll realise it’s all just theatrics. A bunch of Coalition Senators on the Committee are ‘outraged’ at the conduct of CASA and ATSB in relation to the Pel Air matter. Enter stage left a Coalition Minister and his senior officials from the Department with portfolio responsibility for CASA and ATSB, all saying ‘relax, it’s all under control’. If you took the names and dates out of Hansard, you would not be able to tell there had been a change of government.