Jacinta Collins Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary
2:57 pm
My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. I refer to the Secretary to the Attorney-General's Department who says that officers of his department were running around like headless chooks following their failure to provide the Monis letter to the Martin Place siege review and the foreign minister's parliamentary mislead. If his department are headless chooks, does that make the Attorney-General himself the chief rooster? More seriously, how can the Australian people have any confidence in him and his department on matters of national security?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
2:58 pm
Senator Collins, can I tell you I do not think public servants are fair game to be mocked in question time. You can have a go at ministers—they are fair game—but I do not think it is appropriate to be mocking officers of the Australian Public Service, who do a very good job. Like fallible human beings, they sometimes make mistakes but, frankly, Senator Collins, you should take a good look at yourself when you decide to mock Public Servants and members of the Attorney-General's Department or of any other department.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
You misled the parliament for three days! The first law officer of the land! You're a disgrace, George!
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
Senator Wong, you are becoming hysterical! Just calm yourself, Senator Wong. Just calm yourself.
Senator Collins, as I have said to you in answer to previous questions on this matter, I take responsibility for everything that occurs in my department. So if you have a bone to pick, pick it with me not with my officials.
Now, in relation to the matter that you have addressed: I understand that the Senate inquiry into these matters is still current. How it can be, Senator Collins, that you, although a member of that committee, can come into this chamber and announce conclusions before all the evidence before the committee has been received mystifies me. Are you going to accuse yourself, Senator Collins? Because you have plainly prejudged the issue.
Jacinta Collins Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary
3:00 pm
Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. How asking questions can be prejudging the matter is beyond me. There was no mocking in these questions.
Let's see how the Attorney-General responds to this: does the Attorney-General agree with the assessment of the deputy secretary of the Prime Minister's department that the Attorney-General's Department was ducking for cover following their failure to correct the record on the Monis letter for a full parliamentary week?
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
You should just mislead the parliament all the time!
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
3:01 pm
Senator Collins, let me make two points in response to your question, if I can be heard over the shrill, hysterical screeching of Senator Wong.
First of all, I will consider the evidence of all the witnesses before the committee when the evidence has been concluded. Secondly, Senator Collins, as I said to you a moment ago: as a member of this committee, how you can announce conclusions before all of the evidence has been received mystifies me. And, lastly, Senator Collins, you mislead the Senate. The matter was the subject of parliamentary scrutiny that week—
Stephen Parry President
Pause the clock! Senator Di Natale, do you have a point of order?
Richard Di Natale Victoria, Australian Greens
I do have a point of order, Mr President. I would just invite Senator Brandis to reflect on some of the language he is using in this chamber. Calling Senator Wong 'shrill and hysterical' is language that is unbecoming of a government minister. I invite him to withdraw.
Honourable senators interjecting—
Stephen Parry President
Order! On my right! Senator Di Natale, there is no point of order. The minister is in order.
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
As Senator Wong well knows, because Senator Wong asked me detailed questions about the matter on the Thursday afternoon of estimates, the question was corrected in good time for those questions to be answered.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Not in good time! Three days of covering up! It's an absolute disgrace!
Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—
Jacinta Collins Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary
3:03 pm
Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. And perhaps the Attorney-General could encourage his government colleagues to even turn up and consider the evidence in this matter!
Ian Macdonald Queensland, Liberal Party
Nobody is interested! Least of all me!
Jacinta Collins Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary
As you can see.
Attorney-General: given that the secretary of the Prime Minister's department and co-author of the review, Mr Thawley, requested that the record be corrected on the evening of Monday 1 June, why did the Attorney-General and his department continue to delay correcting the record until the end of the parliamentary sitting week?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
3:04 pm
Senator Collins, as you well know, the record was corrected at about 4 pm on the Thursday afternoon of that week. So the suggestion that the record was not corrected before the end of that parliamentary week is simply false. You should ask your friend Senator Wong, who asked me extensive questions in estimates—
Jacinta Collins Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary
Four question times! They are not extensive, George. You're misleading the Senate!
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
By the way, Senator Collins, as you should well know, estimates being a much more effective occasion for forensic questioning, Senator Wong was given every opportunity to ask as many questions as she liked. If she did not ask the questions that you would have had her ask, that is hardly my responsibility.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
You misled the parliament, George. Why not just take it on the chin?
George Brandis Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
In any event, Senator Wong, I will wait until all of the evidence is received and I will study it carefully.
Eric Abetz Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment
Mr President, to protect my hearing from opposition interjections I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.