Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has fended off questions, on his second day in the job, over a delayed declaration of rental income.
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The newly minted Nationals leader updated his register of members' interests last Friday to include rental income on a Melbourne property he and his wife have owned since at least September 2016.
"We have not had a paying tenant since purchasing the property," Mr McCormack told AAP in a statement on Tuesday.
"I declared the token amount we have just started charging our daughter in the past few weeks."
According to Mr McCormack, there is no rental agreement in place and this is the first year since his daughter moved to Melbourne that she has full-time work as a teacher.
"We have not charged her in the past to enable her to get on her feet and have only this school year - beginning 31 January - started charging her the equivalent of board," he said.
Ministerial standards require that ministers "notify the prime minister of any significant change in their private interests within 28 days of its occurrence".
"Failure to declare or register a relevant and substantive personal interest as required by the parliament constitutes a breach of these standards."
Australian Associated Press
