Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition in this place presided over the state secretaryship of the Labor Party in Western Australia and knowingly used Labor Party funds to pay off the gambling debts of a Labor Attorney-General so they would not become public. That is the standard that Senator Chris Evans brings to this debate. And that was before he got into the Senate. It is something he has never apologised for. A question needs to be asked of Senator Evans: would he accept that standard for an Attorney-General in a Labor government? The fact that Senator Evans has never apologised for that is a message loud and clear to the Australian people that he would deliberately cover up the gambling debts of an Attorney-General, the first law officer of the state of Western Australia, so that the Labor Party would not fall into disrepute.