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

Senator Gallacher, I do not remember precisely what was said between Mr Gooda and me, but you asked me whether I spoke to him and I have told you I did. In fact, as you know, I subsequently decided to appoint him as a royal commissioner.

I know Mr Gooda very, very well indeed. I speak to him quite often about issues of this kind, and I did speak to him at that time. I might say, Senator Gallacher, since you have sought to draw a comparison, when I consult people, do you know what I do? I ask them what they think about an issue. My view of what consultation means stands in stark contrast to the view of Mr Mark Dreyfus, who said on Sky News on 6 October, 'You can't consult with someone if you haven't told them what you're going to do.' Now, that is Mr Dreyfus's view of a consultation: you make up your mind first and then you tell somebody what you have already decided to do. My view is: you ask them for their view.