George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

I do not mean any discourtesy, Senator Wright, but I will have to look at the President in answering this question. Through you, Mr President—Senator Wright, I was not a party to that conversation. There were two parties to that conversation: Mr Moraitis and Professor Triggs. Mr Moraitis's evidence about that conversation was unequivocal—that he did not ask for Professor Triggs's resignation—and I believe Mr Moraitis. I believe Mr Moraitis and I accept everything he said in his evidence.

In relation to the balance of Senator Wright's question: Senator Wright, I have said on the four occasions now on which I have publicly addressed this issue—on Sky Agenda on 1 February, in Senate estimates last Tuesday, in The Australian newspaper in an op-ed column on Friday and in the debate on the motion this morning in the Senate—and I say it again, that I have a great deal of respect for Professor Triggs as an international lawyer. I am unlike others—I am actually familiar with her reputation as an international lawyer. I actually studied her scholarly works, so I know what her reputation is.

It is absolutely not to the point that I may have a high regard for Professor Triggs as an international lawyer whether or not her discharge of the role of President of the Australian Human Rights Commission was tainted by partisanship or, at least, the impression of partisanship, as a result of her decision on the timing of the report. (Time expired)