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

I can absolutely confirm that the government will observe the caretaker conventions. We will observe the caretaker conventions to the letter—unlike the previous Labor government, whose Attorney-General and special minister of state, as well as violating the caretaker conventions, described the caretaker conventions as 'merely a matter of political practice', while the previous Labor government shamelessly and conceitedly violated those conventions. So, Senator, please do not come into this chamber and suggest that this government does not take the caretaker conventions seriously—we do—when the last Labor special minister of state, who had custodianship and responsibility for these conventions, openly and flagrantly violated them and made no excuse for doing so.