Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to take note of the answers provided by the Attorney-General to Senator Watt's questions. That does take us to the heart of the inquiry report that was tabled this week into the Legal Services Amendment (Solicitor-General Opinions) Direction 2016. I do not say this lightly, but I say it with great regret. The inquiry and the majority report, I think, shame us all in this chamber. The facts in this case, despite all the bluster from those on the other side, are very simple. The inquiry was established by Labor and by the Greens to king hit the Attorney-General. Instead they knocked out the Solicitor-General. After the Solicitor-General unexpectedly fessed up—somewhat inconveniently to those opposite who had set up the inquiry—that he had actually himself breached caretaker conventions by having a previously undisclosed secret conversation with the shadow Attorney-General during the election campaign period where he arguably communicated privileged information to the shadow Attorney-General, he had no choice but to resign.