John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I have not, and I can assure the Senate that I will not, put a short-term political fix or my own personal interests above the critical importance of ensuring proper legal processes. That approach, I can say, is in fact the lesson of ‘children overboard’.

The facts of this matter are these. I have made clear that at the earliest possible opportunity I will direct the release of the Defence report and the complete photographic and video record of this incident, and I reiterate that commitment in the Senate chamber today. It has not been appropriate for this material to be released before now. In April Defence explicitly agreed with the Northern Territory authorities that it would not release any imagery of the SIEV 36 incident without the consent of the Northern Territory Police— (Time expired)