Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Labor governments have routinely released Solicitor-General advice when convenient to do so, on at least three occasions. Why won't the government release the Solicitor-General's advice about the Voice to Parliament? Why does the government release advice only when it's politically convenient to do so?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government doesn't release cabinet papers; nor did the government he sat in for nine years release cabinet documents—not once. I assume this is talking about the Voice to Parliament, although the question didn't refer to that. I would encourage the shadow Attorney-General to continue to engage with the government. One of the things he knows, because he helped to write some of the words that are now going to be put before the Australian people when he was a part of the process more than a decade ago, the shadow Attorney-General—others mightn't, but he knows full well—is how disingenuous some of the comments are that have been made. The shadow Attorney-General—

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

The member for Braddon is interjecting in his wrong seat and will cease interjecting or will leave the chamber. The member for Wannon, on a point of order?

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just on relevance, it was a very direct question on the Solicitor-General's advice. Would you please refer why you won't release the Solicitor-General's—

An honourable member interjecting—

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

The member for—

Gavin Pearce (Braddon, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health, Aged Care and Indigenous Health Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It wasn't me.

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

Whoever it is can cease.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I answered the question very directly with my first answer, which was for the same reason that the former government didn't release documentation that was specifically provided for the cabinet over their nine years in government.

Opposition members interjecting—

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

The members for Groom and Bowman are now both warned. If they interject one more time, they will leave the chamber.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now, the shadow Attorney-General has actually been involved in a deeper way in this process for longer than I have been, and that is why he knows full well that some of the campaigning that has attempted to draw questions where they simply are not there is disingenuous, going forward. Noel Pearson nailed the shadow Attorney-General in his article in the Australian of a few weeks ago. I'd say to the shadow Attorney-General he was right then: he should have the courage to stand up for the principled position he has historically taken on this issue and to support it when it's put to the Australian people later this year.

The Leader of the Opposition has broken his vow of silence today through interjecting about something. The shadow Attorney-General knows, because it was outlined historically, how this process occurred in that article by Noel Pearson just a couple of weeks ago in the Weekend Australian. To the credit of the Weekend Australian they got it right, and I'd ask the member to reflect on that. (Time expired)