Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

For the benefit of the House, I might be able to give Mr Secker at least a partial answer. My understanding is that around 9.30 last night a meeting of the Selection Committee was held, although unfortunately as a member of the Selection Committee I was not advised of that meeting. There are privileges issues here of course if it was a formally constituted meeting of the committee because, if that is the case, that report, as Mr Secker indicated, has not been tabled. Indeed, I would need clarification on the exact contents of that report and whether it accurately reflects the matter raised by the honourable member.

I make these points only because, Mr Deputy Speaker, I know that you are in no position to answer the question because you know nothing of the events of last evening and I again make the point that I do not know much more either. So I only rise in the spirit of goodwill to at least attempt to give the honourable member an answer, if only a partial answer, to his question.

See this speech in context