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

In the published volumes of his interim report, Mr Heydon, who it should be remembered is a distinguished retired judge of the High Court of Australia, found a pattern of serious criminality, contempt for the law, threatening conduct and actual physical violence and intimidation. That is what he found in his public report. There are confidential elements of the interim report as well, which particularise further those matters. I think, Senator Lambie, you would understand very well, if a royal commissioner decides to go into the detail with particularity of specific threats of violence and physical harm to witnesses, why that would be kept confidential—and it should be kept confidential. It is a very common practice for royal commissioners and commissioners of inquiry to produce a confidential volume of their report in relation to sensitive matters such as this.