Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I have answered these questions before and let me answer them again. I answered them on the Saturday following Australia Day and I refer the Leader of the Opposition to my transcripts, seeing that he has obviously missed it somehow. When I answered these questions on that day, what I said is what is accurate, which is that I went to Flowerdale on the morning after Australia Day, I returned to my office in Melbourne and I was subsequently briefed in full by my staff on their investigations of what by then were a wide set of allegations that were circulating through the media—not one allegation but a wide set of allegations. When I received that briefing in full I was also briefed that Mr Hodges had offered his resignation to my chief of staff. In those circumstances I met with Mr Hodges, he offered his resignation to me and I accepted it for what I viewed to be a grave error of judgment by Mr Hodges. Mr Hodges acted alone; his conduct was not authorised; it was not the right thing to do and he has paid the price for it.

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