Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Brandis. The Editor-At-Large of The Australian newspaper, Paul Kelly, has labelled yesterday's performance by the Minister for Foreign Affairs:

… a bad situation for the government made to look even worse as well as absurd. The Turnbull government sank into panic conceived in apparent desperation.

When will the government stop resorting to desperate and absurd tactics to cover up the chaos caused by its own ineptitude?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, you asked me to comment on some commentary by a commentator. I won't be doing that.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, a supplementary question.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mark Kenny of The Sydney Morning Herald has observed:

Monday was bad, but Tuesday was a disaster—a fact written on the shell-shocked faces of government members of parliament …

When will the government focus on the challenges being faced by working- and middle-class Australians instead of creating disasters to distract?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, I do rate Paul Kelly as a commentator. I must say I can't say the same thing about Mark Kenny. I think the only commentary worth reading in the Fairfax papers this morning is my own op-ed article on the hypocrisy of Senator Wong's position on same-sex marriage.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cameron, a final supplementary question.

Doug Cameron (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Dennis Shanahan observed:

The Coalition response to the Barnaby Joyce New Zealand citizenship brouhaha is a disaster.

Isn't Mr Shanahan correct when he says:

Julie Bishop has thrown petrol on the flames and damaged our closest relationship.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I certainly don't agree with that, Senator Cameron. I have high regard for Dennis Shanahan, who I rate as a journalist and a commentator and who I regard as somebody who more often than not gets it right. But he did not on this occasion, because what is disclosed is the fact that Senator Wong and Senator Wong's office were engaged in a conspiracy with the New Zealand Labour Party to bring down the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia. As I said yesterday and repeat again today, by all means have your fights here in Australia, but don't go to the back doors, sneaking around the New Zealand parliament and using a foreign party to try to make political points in Australia. Mr Albanese exposed Senator Wong's lies in his interview with 5AA this morning, and I commend to you his transcript. (Time expired)