Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I think the presumption of that que­stion is that I have somehow acknowledged that the police inquiry was into the member for Dobell. I did not say anything of the sort. I indicated that there was an inquiry into matters related to the Health Services Union. I know that from what I have read in the newspapers. I have no official advice on that other than what I know from the newspapers. I am surprised that a shadow Attorney-Gen­eral, someone who hopes to be the Attorney-General of this country, would engage in this way, given that there is an active police investigation going on. I have heard Senator Brandis lecture people before about allowing the courts to do their job, about the presump­tion of innocence, about proper legal princi­ples; but he seems to want to flout all of those in some desperate political attempt to muddy up the member for Dobell. I think we should let the proper authorities pursue their inquiries, we should maintain a proper role as members of parliament and we should not interfere with the role of those investigative authorities. (Time expired)