Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That this House:

(1) notes

  (a) the Industry Minister yesterday stated the ABC had been forced to express regret at the outcome of their reporting concerning the Industry Minister and a historical rape allegation, but this is not true;

  (b) the Industry Minister yesterday stated that ABC had been forced to say the accusations could not be proved to a criminal or civil standard; but this is not true;

  (c) the Industry Minister yesterday stated that ABC had made a humiliating backdown, but this is not true;

  (d) this matter is not resolved, no matter how much the Industry Minister and Prime Minister wishes it so; and

  (e) now defamation proceedings have ceased, there is no impediment to an independent inquiry into the matter; and

(2) therefore, calls on the Prime Minster to attend the chamber and explain why he is standing in the way of an independent inquiry into this important matter.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Isaacs from moving the following motion immediately—That this House

notes

the Industry Minister yesterday stated the ABC had been forced to express regret at the outcome of their reporting concerning the Industry Minister and a historical rape allegation, but this is not true;

the Industry Minister yesterday stated that ABC had been forced to say the accusations could not be proved to a criminal or civil standard; but this is not true;

the Industry Minister yesterday stated that ABC had made a humiliating backdown, but this is not true;

this matter is not resolved, no matter how much the Industry Minister and Prime Minister wishes it so; and

now defamation proceedings have ceased, there is no impediment to an independent inquiry into the matter; and

therefore, calls on the Prime Minster to attend the chamber and explain why he is standing in the way of an independent inquiry into this important matter.

This defamation case was a huge bluff by the former Attorney-General, and it has blown up in the Prime Minister's face.

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