Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Fourteen years is a long time to be wrongfully labelled as corrupt; 14 years is a long time to be told by banks and other institutions that there is a red flag against your name and that dealing with you would be a reputational risk; 14 years is a long time to be denied justice, to be egregiously wronged and recognised as such and yet refused closure. Yet it has been 14 years for a constituent of mine—Mr Charif Kazal.

The case of Kazal v Australia ran for six years, between 2017 and 2023, after Mr Kazal was wrongfully labelled corrupt by the New South Wales ICAC. A decision of the United Nations Human Rights Committee cited that New South Wales ICAC had operated outside of its powers and appropriate steps should be taken to resolve the matter. Given it is the Australian government which is signatory to the UN's human rights treaties and optional protocols, the Commonwealth has obligations in this regard. Mr Kazal has sought to meet with this government's former and current attorneys-general but has not been granted a meeting. I too have made representations without success.

I therefore stand in this parliament today to ask the Attorney-General (1) will an apology be made to Mr Kazal, in compliance with the UN decision, and (2) will she take the time to meet with Mr Kazal?

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