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

I am one of those people who believes that everybody has the right to free speech. I believe that people who work in community legal centres, of course, have a right to advocate any causes they like. I also believe that when the Commonwealth, through the national partnership agreement, is funding those community legal centres—or, as Senator Cormann rightly says, as the taxpayers are funding them—the money should be spent where it is needed most.

Senator Ketter, if you are as familiar with the community legal sector as I believe you to be, then you would understand that the resources of those community legal centres are most urgently needed to look after individual men and women—particularly women—in necessitous, urgent circumstances. That is where the money should be spent first. (Time expired)