Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

The advice the government is seeking is exactly of the nature that I have outlined. It relates to appropriately taking precautions in relation to ensuring that there is no real, or potential for perceived, conflict of interest to exist whilst the Attorney-General undertakes the defamation proceedings that he has publicly announced.

The Attorney-General, like any member of parliament, like any Australian, has a right to use existing laws of the land to be able to pursue a defamation allegation, and, in doing so, an independent judicial process will no doubt have an opportunity to hear the claims that are made and to ensure that, through that process, the matters are properly, independently— (Time expired)