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

Mr President, I just want to make it very clear—as the Government Whip, Senator McEwen, did—that the government has every confidence in you as President and every confidence in the decision you made, which was supported by the chamber, to give precedence to the referral of the matters that were referred to the Privileges Committee in relation to Senators Brown and Milne. I also want to make it clear that the government support the Senate Clerk and reject the criticisms made of her and the clerks. We think it is a very poor development where senators seek to impugn the reputation of the Clerk.

I also note that the Privileges Committee found there was no case to answer against Senators Brown and Milne, and I think the finding confirmed that this was a political attack rather than—

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—