George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, I can confirm that Senator Canavan had that to say and I can also confirm, as I pointed out to one of your colleagues yesterday, that the legal and factual issues of the two cases are quite different. But what they have in common, Mr President, is that neither Senator Canavan nor Mr Joyce have any issues about loyalty to Australia—unlike Mr Bill Shorten, who has been disloyal to and betrayed every person and every institution with which he has ever been associated. Just as he betrayed both prime ministers whom he served in government and just as he betrayed the workers whose interests he was entrusted with when he was a trade union leader, now he has done something which is even more serious—even more treacherous—than that. What he has done is he has sought to interfere in Australian politics, not through the legitimate processes of parliamentary debate here but through the back door method of slinking around the New Zealand parliament.