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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's previous answer. Is the Prime Minister aware that the Attorney-General's 37 new appointments to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal included: Liberal donors, former Liberal MPs, failed Liberal candidates and Liberal Party operatives, such as Theo Tavoularis, Saxon Rice, John Sosso, Nicholas McGowan—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The member for Isaacs will resume his seat. The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection will cease interjecting; the Leader of the House will cease interjecting. I am trying to listen to the question, which members expect me to rule on. The member for Melbourne Ports is warned. The member for Isaacs will begin his question from the start and the clock will be reset.

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

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the Prime Minister's previous answer. Is the Prime Minister aware that the Attorney-General's 37 new appointments to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal included: Liberal donors, former Liberal MPs, failed Liberal candidates and Liberal Party operatives, such as Theo Tavoularis, Saxon Rice, John Sosso, Nicholas McGowan and Bruce McCarthy? Is this what the Prime Minister meant when he referred to 'excellent qualifications'?

Mr Dutton interjecting—

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

The minister for immigration!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

( It is typical, I may say, of the member for Isaacs that he seeks to defame people by smear and innuendo. He has no substantive matter to question any of these people. If he does, he should raise it. The Leader of the Opposition has asked about their qualifications. Those can be provided by the Attorney in due course. But, Mr Speaker, what about an appointment that was fundamentally more momentous than an appointment to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal? What about the Leader of the Opposition's hand-picked member of the Senate—Kimberley Kitching? What did the Leader of the Opposition—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Members on my right!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

do to satisfy himself that, contrary to the finding of the Heydon royal commission, she was truthful in her evidence? What did the Leader of the Opposition do to satisfy himself that the royal commission had no basis for referring her conduct to the Director of Public Prosecutions for investigation and consideration for bringing criminal charges against her?

Ms Henderson interjecting—

Mr Pyne interjecting—

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

The member for Corangamite and the Leader of the House!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Kimberley Kitching's conduct has been the subject of findings of a royal commission presided over by a retired High Court judge; it has been the subject of findings by the Fair Work Commission. The fact of the matter is that the Leader of the Opposition, despite many opportunities, has not had the guts to stand up and say that Kimberley Kitching is qualified to be in the Senate and the findings—

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

The Prime Minister will resume his seat. Has the Prime Minister concluded his answer? The Prime Minister has concluded his answer.