Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

You said that you were not aware of whether it had anything to do with GST. Now you are telling us that it does not. It would be very good if you could make up your mind, Senator Brandis, which one it is. Yet again, we see you shifting your position constantly.

The other thing that the Attorney-General has never been very keen to talk about here is the growing evidence that this is clearly linked to his direction given to the Solicitor-General. We have known all along that this was a fishy situation. We now know that 4 March this year is when, the Attorney-General tells us, he was made aware of the intention of the ATO to challenge this litigation and he was made aware that the Solicitor-General was involved. At no point up until 4 March had there been any discussion about the need to issue a direction constraining the Solicitor-General, and—what do you know?—a few weeks later the Attorney-General decides to issue a direction. It is very clearly connected.