Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Attorney-General. I refer to the letter the Attorney-General received from Man Haron Monis on 9 October 2014. According to Senate testimony last night, the Attorney-General's Department knew on Monday, 1 June that the department had not provided the letter to the Martin Place siege inquiry. Given that the Attorney-General knew on Monday that both he and the Minister for Foreign Affairs had misled the parliament, why wasn't the record corrected before Thursday, 4 June?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would remind the member for Sydney that, if one wishes to say that the parliament has been misled, it requires a substantive motion. Perhaps she would like to rephrase.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Just to clarify: the question that was asked quotes the date on which it was realised, that being after the misleading occurred.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is argument, so it is not a point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, it goes to why it is not intentional and it is not being asserted as such.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, I am sorry; I am just inviting the member for Sydney to rephrase her question.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I will say that I did not say that the parliament was deliberately misled, but to assist you I will say: provided false information to the parliament.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The record was corrected at the earliest opportunity after receiving formal confirmation—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left!

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

from the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department on—

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left!

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought they wanted to hear the answer.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Indeed. The minister has the call.

Mr Bowen interjecting—

The member for McMahon is warned.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

May I start again, Madam Speaker?

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has the call.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

May the clock start again? I had a serious question.

Opposition members interjecting—

I have not been able to hear myself, let alone anybody else hear the answer. I thought they were taking this seriously.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has a point. We will reset the clock.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. Madam Speaker, the record was corrected at the earliest opportunity after receiving formal confirmation from the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department on 4 June 2015.

Opposition members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my left!

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That information was received in writing at 2.43 pm. The advice was that the earlier advice from the department was wrong. Katherine Jones, Deputy Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, on 4 June, by email to the committee, advised the committee at 2.55 pm. I received information during question time, after 3 pm, that the record had been corrected as far as the committee was concerned, and at 3.09 pm, minutes later, at the end of question time, I corrected the record. The Attorney-General sent a letter to the committee on 4 June at 3.15 pm, again hand delivered.

The initial advice to the Attorney-General on 1 June was that it appeared that the evidence was wrong. He immediately asked the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department to conduct a review, and the outcome of that review was the information provided to the Attorney-General on the afternoon of 4 June, as I have just outlined. Prior to 4 June, I was in Paris.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs will desist.