Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I was asked about the minister, and he has responded on the basis of the legal advice that we have said, under the terms agreed to by the opposition, we would make available for them—to go into the room and read the legal advice—so that they could assure themselves of the basis of the government's actions. They haven't read it on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Too interested in playing politics, they refuse to make themselves available. The member for Wannon was busy off at the races—the Jericho Cup—so he wasn't available; Senator Paterson, the shadow minister for home affairs, is too busy off at Harvard doing a course; Senator Cash wasn't able to find time in between Sky interviews; and the Leader of the Opposition has not made himself available either. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday—they have failed to avail themselves of the offer that we made very clearly. We contacted them. We made times available. We made three times available for them, and on none of them have they made themselves available to walk into the secure room and read the advice on that basis.

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