Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am a bit nervous to get up after that blast. Anyway, I will help you out, Senator Duniam. I know how it works, mate—you get the call; you got a take note. Congratulations, you had a good crack! Senator Duniam and I probably have a lot in common, because I think the standard of political representation in this nation is a disgrace, and a lot of it starts with those who have come straight out of school into a senator's or member's office as a staffer. They have never got dirt under their fingernails. They would not know what it is like to talk to a man in his mid-50s at five o'clock on a Friday afternoon who, through no fault of his own, has lost his job because of some restructure. Anyway, maybe I am getting a bit cynical and a bit old. Thank you for the advice, Senator Duniam.

The independence of the position of the Solicitor-General and the nature of the relationship between him or her and the Attorney-General of the day has been spoken about before in this chamber. What we have seen here, unfortunately, with the abuse of power, or what could be the abuse of power, at the hands of Senator Brandis with respect to his dealings with the current Solicitor-General, is nothing but appalling.

Just for a little bit of history, I am going to refer to my notes here. The office of the independent Commonwealth Solicitor-General was created in 1916 with the appointment of Sir Robert Garran. Prior to this, from 1903 to 1913, Sir Charles Powers had served as the first Commonwealth Crown Solicitor. For more than 110 years, Australia has seen independent solicitors-general give frank—