Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald, you might say it is a lie. Certainly, it was quite clear in relation to the reports that were out there, and it was quite clear by the vision of that meeting, that you did behave in an extremely aggressive, bullying manner towards the commissioner. It did not do you any credit. It certainly did not do the Senate any credit. I would hope that you consider your position on that in the future—

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

I am entitled to have a point of view on it, Senator Macdonald.

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

You can interject as much as you like. Through the chair, when we talk about rules being followed, when Senator Macdonald has to get in there and nitpick against the Human Rights Commissioner, when Senator Macdonald still has to get his bias and dislike for the whole Human Rights Commission on the public record—as he has done tonight—and when he simply looks to nitpick in the report, then I find it a bit hard to take.

I agree with Senator Macdonald that if there are rules there then they should be complied with. I do not disagree with Senator Macdonald on that point. If the Human Rights Commission is not following the rules to the letter of the law about what their obligations are, then they should. I hope that the next time the fair work building commission are criticised for not following the rules, for not providing enough support to the public servants that are in that commission, when they are identified in the context of the ombudsman's report for not following the rules that apply to them, then maybe we will see Senator Macdonald stand and deal with that issue on the same principle that he has outlined here.

He has said: 'Here is a principle. There are rules and regulations to be followed, and the Human Rights Commission should follow them'—I agree. That is the principle that Senator Macdonald has outlined. I will have a bet that Senator Macdonald will not go and have a look at the ombudsman's report into the fair work building commission and then do a speech in the same terms that he has outlined here, because it is one rule for the Human Rights Commissioner and another rule for the fair work building commission. I think that is hypocrisy. It is outrageous that you can come here and get a sermon from Senator Macdonald about following the rules and following the law when he turns a complete blind eye to the breaches of rules, to the breaches of law and to the contempt for parliamentary process by Mr Nigel Hadgkiss from the fair work building commission.

I hope that there will be some balance and a lack of hypocrisy. I hope I am wrong about Senator Macdonald and this approach, but I doubt I will be, because there have been many examples of the fair work building commission and the commissioner, Mr Nigel Hadgkiss, not playing by the rules and not following what is laid out in the act. In fact, there are examples of ignoring a whole range of responsibilities that the fair work building commission has under the act so that it can—