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

Senator Kitching, in the spirit of the season I will overlook the jibe and I will say to you that what we have achieved—as recently as today, by the way, as I addressed in my answer to Senator Fawcett—is to concentrate on what really matters to the Australian people, in my portfolio and in the portfolio of every minister represented along this front bench. In my portfolio, had you bothered to attend the debate, which you did not, you would have seen two important national security bills passed by the chamber as recently as this morning, and you would have seen, earlier this week, the Prime Minister and I announce the appointment of the first woman to be the Chief Justice of Australia, something I would have thought you would have celebrated. That is the difference, Senator Kitching: you may choose to waste your time in question time on political gossip and tittle tattle but we in the government get on with real achievements.