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

My question is to the Prime Minister. The Attorney-General and the Minister for Foreign Affairs knew on Monday, 1 June that they had provided false information to the parliament. Prime Minister, why did no-one in your government correct the record for four days?

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

My understanding is that on the relevant Monday, within the Attorney-General's Department, there was concern that misleading information had been given to the Senate the previous week and that, based on that misleading information given to the Senate, misleading information may have been given to the House. My understanding is that on Monday, 1 June a full investigation was ordered. That investigation established the facts. It reported on 4 June. And on 4 June, which was in fact the first day when the Minister for Foreign Affairs, representing the Attorney-General, was back in the parliament, the record was corrected. So there has been nothing untoward here. There has been no impropriety here. If members opposite are trying to suggest that in some way possession of that letter would have averted the atrocity in Martin Place in December, I think that suggestion, if it is being made, is fanciful to say the least.