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

Once again, the Leader of the Opposition is showing a lack of understanding of national security, our security agencies and structures like the inspector-general. It is impossible for me to give a direction to the inspector-general. In answer to the shadow minister's question a little bit earlier, I explained to the Leader of the Opposition, who now is yelling abuse presumably directed at the inspector-general, that under the relevant law—that is, the law of the country, Australian law, laws that have gone through this parliament—the inspector-general is an independent statutory officeholder. The inspector-general is not subject to general direction from me or other ministers about how she carries out her powers under the act.

What the opposition leader is asking me to do does not fit with the way in which we have set up the inspector-general. I understand that it fits in with the general Liberal Party philosophy that what you do is wander around thugging people. But we do not do that. We respect independence.

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