Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I know you are very new, but what an extraordinary comment to make. You have not been listening, son. Listen in. Listen up. This is about your leader trying to close down the Senate process. I respected Mr Nassios's view that he could not give that evidence because it might interfere with his investigation. In February of this year, when Mr Nassios was asked again whether he was happy to advise the Senate through the Senate estimates process whether he had interviewed Mr Thomson, he said that he was because it would not interfere with his investigation. He was just about to answer the question. I asked him whether he had interviewed Craig Thomson, Pauline Fegan, Criselee Evans, Matthew Burke and Jeff Dickson, and what was Mr Nassios's response? I will read it slowly so that you can listen up, my friend. It was this:

Certainly if we could go—

through them—

one by one.

Mr Nassios was prepared to do so. The Leader of the Government in the Senate then intervened and said, 'I don't know whether that is right.' He asked Mr Nassios whether there was a precedent. Mr Nassios said:

I cannot recall it being done in the past. When the senator was asking me these questions last time I felt that it would not be helpful to my investigation to divulge that sort of detail. I certainly cannot say it would hinder my investigation at this point.

So he was prepared to answer the questions. Then the Australian Labor Party effectively forced Fair Work Australia to spend $7,000 of taxpayers' funds to get a QC's opinion that suited their case. This is an outrageous motion before us. This is the Australian Labor Party again attempting to interfere with the Senate estimates process, and they most definitely will not be supported by this side of the chamber.

Debate interrupted.