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

I refer the member for Sturt to my statement at the time that I announced that the member for Dobell would not participate in Labor caucus and suggest he reads it. He will see when he reads that statement that I was not prejudging the matters being dealt with by Fair Work Australia. I explained my view about respect for the parliament. I continue to believe that it is inappropriate for this parliament to prejudge matters which will ultimately be dealt with by the courts.

I also note, in terms of the opposition's approach to these matters, that they have one standard when people are members of the Liberal Party or the National Party and a different standard for everyone else. How can they come into this place and claim any consistency, given the matters involving, for example, Senator Fisher from South Australia, now Senator Heffernan and the like? If you are in the Liberal Party everything is apparently okay. That is the standard of the publicity of this opposition.

For me, I believe it is important that people have, if they are to be the subject of legal proceedings, their entitlements to their day in court and to put their defence as they choose to do so.

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