Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

This morning, Senator Roberts leaked my personal mobile phone number on his social media. Since then I've received any number of nasty, abusive and threatening phone calls and messages. I may have to change my phone number.

I give my phone number to veterans whose mental health is not so good, and most of the time they're on their last legs. Those veterans know they can call me at any time of the day or night if they need someone to listen to them.

If you've got someone's number, it's not hard to find out personal details that are linked to it. I'm going to have to change my phone number, because I need to make sure my family and friends are safe.

It should go without saying that it is completely unacceptable to leak other senators' personal contact details to the public just because you don't like what they're saying. Every single one of us—no matter how much we disagree with one another, no matter how much we go at each other on the floor—should know that one thing. One Nation have crossed a line here that should never be crossed. You've got the AFP briefing politicians about our safety. We've got gallows on the steps of Victoria's parliament. Senators in this very chamber should not be facilitating any abuse.

Mr President, I'd like to respectfully ask that you look at this issue. One Nation have leaked my mobile number. I ask you to consider whether Senator Roberts should front up and apologise for his behaviour—even though he has had more than two hours to do so personally to me. And I ask that you look at the safety of senators in this place more broadly, because I think we have some problems here. Thank you.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Lambie. I will take that matter under consideration. I understand that Senator Roberts is seeking the call.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I seek leave to make a short, two-minute statement.

Leave not granted.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

I thank the government. I want to respond briefly to Senator Lambie, and we would grant leave to the leader of the government to do the same. When Senator Cormann left this place, in the valedictory we had I spoke about the importance of containment of conflict, and I made this comment:

We fight here. There must be limits, there must be containment, because conflict without any limit risks destroying too much. It risks damaging the polity, the people, the community, the institution, too much.

And I would add to that today: it risks the safety of colleagues and the safety of Australians.

This is why Labor has been so critical of the Prime Minister's refusal to unequivocally condemn violence and violent extremists. It was an abject failure of leadership. What I would say to the government and to One Nation is: if you start a fire, it can quickly overwhelm us. I urge the government senators and the leader of the government to unequivocally condemn what One Nation has done on this occasion and I urge Senator Roberts to issue an apology in an unqualified manner, and I urge us all to have standards of behaviour, regardless of our differences, that reflect the need to ensure colleagues and individuals across this country are safe.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement, because Senator Wong has misrepresented—

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, Senator Birmingham is on his feet. Minister, you have the call.

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

Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

I thank the Senate. The sharing of private contact details or personal confidential arrangements in relation to any member of parliament—indeed, in relation to any individual—without their consent and knowledge is inappropriate and should not occur, and the government does not accept it. That is why, indeed, I spoke to Senator Lambie prior to question time and the government, along with other parties, agreed that Senator Lambie should be facilitated to make the statement she has made to this Senate, to draw attention to the issue and to seek to have an apology recorded, as would be the appropriate thing. As I recall, Senator Wong referenced that debate before and I recall my own remarks at the time on the importance of civility in the conduct of our political debate, the importance of us actually debating on the issues, not the person. That is something that I hope and trust we might see as we enter question time today, that we debate on the issues, not the person. That is crucial at all stages.

It is important, though, when we are having these debates, that we respect the differences of others and we respect their rights here as duly elected people, no matter how vehemently we may disagree with them and no matter how strongly we may engage in debates in this place. If we keep it on the issues and if we respect the rights of each other to be here, we can maintain a civility and a decency of conduct that the Australian people rightly expect. The government was willing, and I believe others are willing, to provide Senator Roberts the ability to make an apology, if that is the intention of Senator Roberts in terms of the publication of Senator Lambie's mobile phone numbers. It is a matter for Senator Roberts to make clear in seeking leave what his intent is.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, are you seeking the call?

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement to correct the record.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday Senator Lambie said, 'People make decisions and there are consequences for those decisions.' We don't condone publishing phone numbers that are private. Steve Mav, our Senate candidate, posted Senator Lambie's telephone number and a text message. So I need to correct the record and state that Steve Mav was sent the phone number by a Tasmanian voter who got it from Senator Lambie's Facebook post, with an invitation to contact her. A journalist has today confirmed that with Steve Mav, our candidate in Tasmania.

At the last election, Senator Lambie posted her bank account details on Facebook, with an invitation to send money. Steve has removed the phone number from his post. The text message stating that Senator Lambie opposes vaccine mandates remains. I will read it. Senator Lambie said to the Tasmanian voters, 'I don't support the mandate. It should be left for people to decide if they want the jab. Dictating to people is not the answer.' That has been left on Steve Mav's Facebook page. Our candidate called on her to recant her comments and to challenge her to a debate. One Nation is making inroads in Tasmania, and Senator Lambie is running scared, playing victim and misrepresenting the circumstances. This phone number, this bank account, were issued by Senator Lambie publicly, and a journalist has confirmed that today, so that is the record cleared.