Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General. What was the former coalition government's approach to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, and what impact has this had on Australians?

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lalor for her question, which reflects her longstanding interest in the very important work of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. If you want to know about the approach of the former government and the damage that they did to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, you can now ask the former government, because they might actually tell you. Over recent weeks, those opposite, including the opposition leader, have complained that the AAT is stacked with political appointees—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Attorney-General will resume his seat. Members on my right, I would like to hear from the Manager of Opposition Business in silence.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This question makes no attempt to even be related to the Attorney-General's portfolio. It's specifically worded in terms of the previous government. The Attorney-General is not responsible for the actions of the previous government. He has his own responsibilities, and those are what he ought to be asked about.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order, I'll hear from the leader of the House.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The point of order was not raised at the time of the question being asked. We're now well into the answer. The only point of order would be on whether or not he was being relevant at this point, and he is clearly being exactly relevant to what was asked.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Attorney-General is being relevant. He does have responsibility for the AAT. I will listen to his answer carefully to make sure it relates to the question.

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Over recent weeks, those opposite—including the opposition leader—have complained that the AAT is, in Mr Dutton's words, 'stacked with political appointees' who can't be trusted to approve warrants for the new proposed National Anti-Corruption Commission. Those opposite appear to have no sense of irony at all. According to the opposition leader, the members of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal lack the independence and requisite level of oversight and intellect to perform the important role of approving warrants, even though, as Minister for Home Affairs, this same Leader of the Opposition dramatically expanded the role of AAT members in issuing warrants.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Moreton is warned.

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the benefit of the opposition leader: yes, the AAT is stacked with political appointees, and that's because he and his colleagues spent almost a decade stacking the AAT with political appointees. They are attacking their own miserable record.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Hunter will leave the chamber under 94(a)

Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition leader and his colleagues are now openly admitting what many of us have been saying for years. The modern Liberal Party care so little for vulnerable people who rely on the AAT that they are happy to stack it with Liberal cronies—almost 90 Liberal Party cronies—at taxpayers' expense, many of whom they knew were not up to the job.

Each year, tens of thousands of Australians rely on the AAT to independently review decisions made by Commonwealth departments and ministers that have major and sometimes life-altering impacts on their lives. Those opposite do not care about those Australians. Those opposite have never cared about those Australians and they never will. Just yesterday we heard some more troubling revelations about the internal culture of the AAT, after almost 10 years of Liberal Party stacking. Seventeen current members of the tribunal have faced bullying, discrimination or harassment complaints since 1 July 2016, and one of those members has had at least five such complaints made against them. That is completely unacceptable and is yet another problem our government will have to address. The Liberal Party of Australia deserves to be tarnished forever for the legacy of this uniquely disgraceful exhibition of political cronyism, which has come at enormous cost to taxpayers, to the AAT and to Australia's system of administrative law more generally.

Hono urable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The House will come to order so I can hear the member for Curtin in silence.