Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

As I advised the House yesterday and mentioned in media today, I received a briefing from the AFP Commissioner on the 11th. I took a decision—I think the right decision at that time—not to advise the Prime Minister, because whilst the briefing from the AFP Commissioner was at a high level, as to process and not detail, nonetheless it was provided to me in my role as the minister in charge of the Australian Federal Police.

There were media inquiries to the government on the 12th. My office, as a courtesy, on my advice to my chief of staff, contacted the Prime Minister's chief of staff. There was no operational detail provided, no official—the wording that you used. There was simply a passing of acknowledgement that the AFP had an interest in this matter. Obviously the sensitive investigation unit had made a determination on the 11th, as is the case of normal practice within the AFP. Brittany approached the AFP on 5 February. They made a determination at that point, on the morning of the 11th, that this was a sensitive investigation. On that basis, as the honourable member would be aware, under the guidelines of the Australian Federal Police, there is then an obligation on the police commissioner to advise me, which is what happened in due course.

See this speech in context