Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Let me make it absolutely crystal clear that this government defends the professionalism and the impartiality of the honourable Dyson Heydon, a former judge of the New South Wales Court of Appeal, a former judge for almost a decade of the Australian High Court who has been said by no less a critic of this government then Julian Burnside to be 'a profoundly honourable man'. So not only do we support the impartiality and professionalism of former High Court judge Dyson Heydon, we also absolutely support the necessity of this royal commission into union corruption. Members opposite should be very careful about smearing a distinguished former judge in an attempt to cover up their betrayals of the workers. They should be very careful about smearing a former judge in an attempt to cover up the facts that are already speaking for themselves before that royal commission—because what is abundantly clear from what has been revealed at this royal commission on numerous occasions is that union officials ripped off the workers in order to help themselves.

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