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

It is certainly true to say that I have a great deal of respect for Mr Irvine, the former Director-General of Security. Until his retirement last September, I worked with him very closely on almost a daily basis in relation to a range of national security matters, and I have had many, many, many conversations over the years with Mr Irvine about the issue of metadata. In fact, it was in the last parliament that I think it would be fair to say that Mr Irvine was the principal advocate, before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, for the establishment of a metadata retention regime. When this bill passes the Senate next week, as I expect it will—

Senator Xenophon interjecting—