Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Evans said a little earlier in the proceedings that the Clerk had great concerns about Dorothy Dixers, and I share those concerns, by the way. We must not confuse a Dorothy Dixer with giving a question on notice so that you can get a more appropriate answer. They are different things. A Dorothy Dixer is where a question is put with an answer known beforehand.

I do remind the Senate of two things here. The first is that this matter happened 10 months, and I would have thought that it ought to have been brought before the Senate for reference to the Privileges Committee at some time during those 10 months and not now as an apparent quid pro quo. That notwithstanding, it is our position that if there is a reasonable case to be put to the Privileges Committee, the Privileges Committee should make the determination. So we will not be opposing this matter. The very fact that there would be a Greens MP sitting next to me rather than Senator Fielding, had it not been for the preferences of Labor in Victoria, in no way enters into our consideration, nor will it ever enter into a consideration of a matter like this.