Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

Yes. But what we mean is, whilst it is a bully pulpit, it is not a pulpit for bullies, and that is what we are seeing with this government. We should suspend standing orders because what we have seen with this attack on the President of the Human Rights Commission is a new low by the most powerful man in Australia against an upright, proper and decent woman. We have seen in this attack by the Prime Minister the classic overreach of the angry Prime Minister. He says that he does not like what she has written, so therefore she must resign.

We have seen word games played by this government. When is a resignation not a resignation? When Tony Abbott and George Brandis ask for it. When is an inducement not an inducement? When these ministers and the Attorney-General offer it. The President of the Human Rights Commission understood perfectly well what was happening when the secretary of the department came along and said, 'I'm sorry to tell you this, but the Attorney-General's lost confidence in you; the government's lost confidence in you.' You cannot sack this statutory office holder. There is a clear implication if you say to this independent statutory office holder, 'the government has lost confidence in you, but you cannot be sacked'; there is only one course of action being asked for by these powerful people—the Attorney-General and his leader, the Prime Minister—it is clearly putting pressure on her to resign.

Then we hear about the embarrassing spectacle that no job was offered. Today the foreign minister gave a strong and appropriate defence of the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department. She certainly defends the secretary of the department; she said he is a very truthful person. We agree. We think he is a truthful person. What we do not believe is that we are hearing the truth from the Attorney-General or from this Prime Minister.

You can just see the decision-making in the inner sanctum of this government—at least the bits that we have not seen already leaked. They would have sat around and said: 'We want this woman gone. We want her out of the position.' That is what they would have said. You can see them saying: 'George, send a messenger to get rid of the messenger. Send her the message that we no longer have confidence but if she does the right thing and fits in with the agenda of this government we will find her a job somewhere else.' Unfortunately for this government and its bullying ways, the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission was not playing ball.

Prime Minister, I think you underestimate many Australians when you dismiss this matter as an 'insider issue'. I think there are a lot of Australians who have been appalled by your conduct and your character assassination of this President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. I think you have reminded a lot of Australians what they deep-down feel about you, that you are a—

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