House debates Questions without Notice
Attorney-General, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
2:00 pm
My question is to the Minister representing the Attorney-General. I refer to the letter the Attorney-General received from Man Haron Monis on 9 October 2014. According to Senate testimony last night, the Attorney-General's Department knew on Monday, 1 June that the department had not provided the letter to the Martin Place siege inquiry. Given that the Attorney-General knew on Monday that both he and the Minister for Foreign Affairs had misled the parliament, why wasn't the record corrected before Thursday, 4 June?
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
I would remind the member for Sydney that, if one wishes to say that the parliament has been misled, it requires a substantive motion. Perhaps she would like to rephrase.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Just to clarify: the question that was asked quotes the date on which it was realised, that being after the misleading occurred.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
This is argument, so it is not a point of order.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance
No, it goes to why it is not intentional and it is not being asserted as such.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Well, I am sorry; I am just inviting the member for Sydney to rephrase her question.
Tanya Plibersek Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Madam Speaker, I will say that I did not say that the parliament was deliberately misled, but to assist you I will say: provided false information to the parliament.
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
2:02 pm
The record was corrected at the earliest opportunity after receiving formal confirmation—
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
from the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department on—
Opposition members interjecting—
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
I thought they wanted to hear the answer.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
May I start again, Madam Speaker?
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
May the clock start again? I had a serious question.
Opposition members interjecting—
I have not been able to hear myself, let alone anybody else hear the answer. I thought they were taking this seriously.
Mrs Bronwyn Bishop Speaker
The minister has a point. We will reset the clock.
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Thank you. Madam Speaker, the record was corrected at the earliest opportunity after receiving formal confirmation from the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department on 4 June 2015.
Opposition members interjecting—
Ms Julie Bishop Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
That information was received in writing at 2.43 pm. The advice was that the earlier advice from the department was wrong. Katherine Jones, Deputy Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, on 4 June, by email to the committee, advised the committee at 2.55 pm. I received information during question time, after 3 pm, that the record had been corrected as far as the committee was concerned, and at 3.09 pm, minutes later, at the end of question time, I corrected the record. The Attorney-General sent a letter to the committee on 4 June at 3.15 pm, again hand delivered.
The initial advice to the Attorney-General on 1 June was that it appeared that the evidence was wrong. He immediately asked the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department to conduct a review, and the outcome of that review was the information provided to the Attorney-General on the afternoon of 4 June, as I have just outlined. Prior to 4 June, I was in Paris.
Mr Dreyfus interjecting—