Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Abbott, thank you. He was Mr Abbott's captain's call to head up what is an escalating $80 million witch-hunt into the Labor Party and anyone who has ever heard of the Labor Party.

Today's damning revelation that Justice Heydon is moonlighting as a fundraising operative for the Liberal Party confirms what Australians have known all along—this royal commission is nothing more than a witch-hunt designed to smear and slander Mr Abbott's and the Liberal Party's political opponents. The information uncovered today is truly extraordinary. It was an invitation to a Liberal Party fundraiser at which Justice Heydon would be the keynote speaker, the keynote speaker while he is running a witch-hunt and accusing the Leader of the Opposition of being a less-than-credible witness. It is a witch-hunt which has dragged people before it, does not follow procedural fairness, ambushes witnesses in the stands, distributes documents to the press—the smear people—on a daily basis is now exposed for what it is—$80 million of taxpayers' money fronted by a Liberal Party stooge to smear the political opponents in this country. It is a disgrace.

So the Liberal Party supporters were invited to enjoy a three-course dinner with Justice Heydon at a boutique hotel on 26 August. In exchange for this privilege, the donors were required to pay $80 per ticket. We have had some attempt in this chamber from Senator Brandis to pretend it was not a fundraiser. Tragically for Senator Brandis, despite the fact that the invitation says pay your money to the New South Wales Liberal Party division—here is how to declare it; here is what the rules are for giving donations to political parties—he still tried to say it was not a fundraiser. Unfortunately Mr Abbott said the following in the other place:

Plainly, the royal commissioner himself believed that it was inappropriate to give the address at a Liberal Party fundraiser.

This was exactly what Mr Abbott said because the commissioner issued a statement. At this, Mr Speaker intervenes and Mr Abbott goes on to say:

…obviously, the royal commissioner himself believes that it is wrong for people in his position to address party fundraisers, as the statement issued on his behalf this morning said.

So do not let anyone come in here, Senator Abetz or Senator Brandis, and pretend this is anything other than a Liberal Party fundraiser. This is a man who has disgraced himself in his conduct of this royal commission. He has been clearly biased in his treatment of witnesses. He has given an absolute dream ride to witnesses that he thinks can hurt the Labor Party. It has been a disgrace.

But when it comes to Justice Heydon, I say this: I am concerned about his credibility in the commission and his self-interest as a Liberal Party stooge because that is what is at stake here. Justice Heydon should resign. His position is untenable, he is being paid—no-one knows how much because the government wants to hide it—and he handpicked his best mate from his chambers to get paid $4 million nearly so far. (Time expired)