House debates

Monday, 22 March 2021

Questions without Notice

Members of Parliament: Staff

2:16 pm

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move:

That the House

(1) notes that:

(a) the Prime Minister told the House last Thursday about the Gaetjens inquiry, 'Those inquiries are being made by the secretary of my department,' and 'This work is being done by the secretary of my department,' but the secretary of this department has given evidence to the Senate today that he told the Prime Minister on 9 March that he was putting his inquiry on hold;

(b) the secretary of the Prime Minister's department has halted his inquiry into what the Prime Minister's office knew about the reported sexual assault in Parliament House, but the commissioner of the Federal Police has given clear evidence to the Senate today that he did not tell the secretary to 'stall, pause or alter his investigation';

(c) the Prime Minister has repeatedly refused to answer whether he has asked his staff if they sought to undermine Brittany Higgins' loved ones; and

(d) the Prime Minister told the House last Tuesday he was briefed by the commissioner of the Federal Police on the contents of the dossier which contains allegations of serious sexual assault against the Attorney-General, but the commissioner of the Federal Police has told the Senate today that he did not brief the Prime Minister on the details of the allegations; and

(2) therefore condemns the Prime Minister for failing to give straight answers to straight questions about his government's response to the reported sexual assault of Brittany Higgins and on his handling of serious sexual assault allegations against the Attorney-General.

Leave not granted.

Mr Albanese interjecting

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