Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Attorney-General. Nearly 24 hours have passed since the minister took on notice questions about whether the Attorney-General had misled the Senate and the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. Why has the minister failed to meet the commitments that he gave to the House yesterday?

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Isaacs for that question, and if he waited another 10 minutes I could have provided this answer, but considering he has invited me to do this now, I will be very happy to provide it to the House, as I undertook to do yesterday.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left will cease interjecting.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In answer to the questions that he asked me, I would like to refer him to this very comprehensive submission that Senator Brandis has already made to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee, who are looking into this matter. This submission is publicly available. It outlines in detail the process of consultation that the Attorney-General undertook in relation to his dealings with the Solicitor-General. Further to this, on his questions in relation to legal advice, it has been longstanding practice in this House under successive governments—including the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd governments, for which he was briefly Attorney-General—that we do not discuss the detail of legal advice. That is something this government adheres to as well.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just to be clear, was the minister seeking to table the document?

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to table it. It is actually a submission that is publicly available already, but I am very happy to table it if it is difficult for the shadow Attorney-General and his staff to actually find it on the internet.

Mr Husic interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is up to the minister. I was not sure whether he said he was going to, that was all. The member for Chifley will cease interjecting.