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

It is not surprising that the shadow Attorney-General has dropped out of the attack and that the member for Gorton has now been asked to continue the attack, because the member for Gorton, I suppose, is less familiar than the shadow Attorney-General with the appropriate conduct when there is some issue with the presiding officer of a tribunal or a royal commission. For the benefit of the member for Gorton, who probably was not listening to my response to the shadow Attorney-General, let me quote this statement from Mr Duncan McConnel, the President of the Law Council of Australia. He says:

The public attacks on the Commissioner being played out through the media are unacceptable and damage the basis on which tribunals and Courts operate.

He goes on to say:

The person who sits as a Royal Commissioner is entitled to the same respect, inside and outside of the Inquiry, as a Judge in a Court. In this case, Mr John Dyson Heydon AC QC is a highly regarded former judicial officer. The proper way for dealing with any question of bias, including apprehended bias, is to make an application for the Commissioner to recuse himself …

I say to the member for Gorton and the shadow minister who asked the question, if he, his political allies or his friends have any issue whatsoever with Royal Commissioner Dyson Heydon AC QC they know what to do, and why don't they do it? If they think there is a problem they should bring an application.

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

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