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

I most certainly will not, and were I to do so I would be committing the crime of contempt under the Royal Commissions Act—and anyone who improperly sought to influence a royal commissioner would be committing the crime of contempt under the Royal Commissions Act.

You may be ignorant of this fact, Senator Conroy, but this morning the royal commissioner received a letter from Mr Peter Gordon, of Gordon Legal, acting on behalf of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. Mr Gordon said in that letter, 'Our current intention is to seek to make our application'—that is, an application that the commissioner stand aside on the ground of apprehended bias—'before the commission at 2 pm today.' Shortly before question time, the commissioner asked Mr Newlinds, who seeks leave to appear on behalf of the ACTU, to confirm whether he had instructions and stood the matter down till 4 pm. It would in those circumstances be extremely inappropriate to comment. (Time expired)