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

I seek leave to ask the Attorney-General three questions.

Leave granted.

My first question relates to evidence that we have taken at this inquiry already, which is that the Attorney-General did not personally prepare a direction to stop the ATO from intervening in this case, but we know that the Attorney-General has refused to answer whether his office prepared a direction to prevent the ATO intervening. My first question is: doesn't this cause an inference that his office did request such a direction to be prepared? My second question asks the Attorney-General for his response to the evidence from senior Australian tax office officials this week that the prospect of a direction being issued against them by the Attorney-General or his office was discussed between the Australian tax office, Treasury and the Australian Government Solicitor. My third question to the Attorney-General is for him to advise when the last time was that a Commonwealth minister had to be hauled before the full Senate to stop avoiding answering questions.