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

Well, Senator Pratt, I am aware in fact of two reports. I am aware of a majority report and I am aware of a minority report. And at risk of being accused by you, once again, of misleading the Senate, let me confirm and affirm very unequivocally that I did consult the Solicitor-General, and I demur entirely from the suggestion that I did not.

It is interesting to see who comprised the majority of this committee which, of course, is dominated by the Australian Labor Party. It consisted of—the people who put their names to this report from the opposition—Senator Pat Dodson, who did not show up on the day that the evidence from me and the Solicitor-General was being heard. It consisted of Senator Murray Watt, who gave a speech in this chamber, announcing his conclusions about the issue before the first hearing day. And it consisted of you, Senator Pratt, who in the majority report based your entire case on a passage from Alice in Wonderland! Indeed, this is an Alice in Wonderland report.

It rather reminded me—I dug out Alice in Wonderland this morning—that one of the main plot lines in Alice in Wonderland is of some crazy queen, the Queen of Hearts, running around saying, 'Off with his head! Off with his head!' before the trial commences and before the first word of evidence has been heard! That is you, Senator Pratt. It is Senator Dodson, who was not there; Senator Watt, who announced his conclusion before the committee convened; and you, Senator Pratt, whose case is based on Alice in Wonderland.