Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's statement yesterday and to the statement today by Slater & Gordon which I am holding my hand and which states that, in relation to the AWU matter, a conflict of interest arose between two clients. The statement indicates that, because Slater & Gordon acted for the AWU, the Prime Minister acted for Bruce Wilson personally and that, when Mr Wilson disclosed the use of the slush fund to purchase the Fitzroy property, Slater & Gordon ceased acting for both clients. Does the Prime Minister still claim that as a partner of Slater & Gordon she did nothing wrong?

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

I did nothing wrong. Nothing the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has said or done during the course of today actually raises, as a matter of fact, any wrongdoing. What we have seen from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is that she has repeddled allegations I first dealt with in 1995. She has repeddled matters I dealt with comprehensively on the public record yesterday. She has repeddled matters out of an affidavit drawn by a person associated with the formation and operation of One Nation. She has repeddled these matters associated with making wilder and wilder and more and more ridiculous claims in the media.

This is because the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and the opposition generally under this leader, are on a mission of sleaze and smear but they have not got anything credible to say. They are just repeddling incredibly old allegations or matters I have dealt with comprehensively on the public record. Indeed, the Manager of Opposition Business's point of order to try and get an out-of-order question into order actually made the point that these matters have been dealt with by me in statements comprehensively made.

So, to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition: I have dealt with this matter over many long years. I have dealt with it comprehensively in front of the media. I have answered questions in here. I have been truthful in those answers. I did nothing wrong, and no amount of smear, repeddled from the best part of 20 years ago, will ever change that.