Brendan O'Connor (Gorton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When was the Prime Minister or his office first aware that his royal commissioner Dyson Heydon had agreed at the invitation of the Liberal Party to be the keynote speaker at a Liberal Party fundraiser? Did the Prime Minister, his office or department provide advice to the royal commissioner this matter? If so, what was that advice?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I found out about this at a time after which the royal commissioner had already decided that he was not going to attend. By the time I found out about this the royal commissioner had already said that he was not going to attend.

Mr Husic interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Chifley is warned.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to members opposite, who are obviously determined to keep raising this: what charge are they making against the royal commissioner? Are they claiming that the royal commissioner lacks integrity? If they are, they should demonstrate how. I have to say that this government will certainly defend the integrity of the royal commissioner and we will certainly defend the necessity of the royal commission. If members opposite want to debate the royal commission, we will happily accommodate them. If they want to defend the rorts, the rackets and the rip-offs inside the union movement that this royal commission has uncovered, let's have the debate. We are happy to have a debate about what this royal commission has found if that is what members opposite want.

Dr Chalmers interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Rankin is warned.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If they want to defend union officials ripping off workers to help themselves, let's have that debate. But if members opposite want to do the right thing by the workers of Australia what they should do is support the Registered Organisations Commission bill, which is about ensuring that union officials have the same standards of integrity as have long applied to company directors.