Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, the letter was sent on 22 December. The chair of a committee has an obligation to circulate matters of this kind, especially since, as it has been said, matters before the Privileges Committee need to be resolved as a matter of urgency to protect the reputations of people involved. However, apparently, based on what Senator Brandis said, the chair of the committee failed in his duty to the rest of the committee to circulate that letter. However, having said that, the legal advice went to the chair of the committee—and this is important, Senator Macdonald; you listen to the sequence of events—on 8 February.

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—