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

I am not seeing that, Senator Bernardi. I should make it clear that that part of the definition is already in the bill. It is not part of the government amendment that I am moving now. But just to clarify the point, and to go to the section of the bill to which you refer, the reason that amendment was made is that there is in fact some ambiguity both in the case law and in the dictionary definition of whether harassment requires more than one act. In the Macquarie Dictionary, the word 'harassment' is defined exclusively in terms of a series or multiplicity of acts, but in the Oxford English Dictionary, the word 'harassment' is defined in at least one of its senses as conduct which might be constituted by a single act. The same is the case in the case law. That is why we have clarified the definition. But in relation to the specific question you asked, I am not aware of the genesis of that proposition.