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

I will take Senator Brandis's interjection. He's maintaining this argument that the facts are clear, in the Deputy Prime Minister's case, that he is a New Zealander. He is 100 per cent New Zealand, and yet he can continue to serve in this government. The fact that the Deputy Prime Minister remains in office, and the fact that we have the Attorney-General and every other minister defending the right of the Deputy Prime Minister to remain in that position, not only shows the great illegitimacy in their government but also shows exactly how beholden the Liberal Party and the Prime Minister are to the National Party to remain in office.

Senator Brandis's other comments yesterday, in answer to a question from Senator Wong, were even more absurd. Senator Wong asked Senator Brandis:

Can the minister advise the Senate which of these 'factual and legal differences' requires one minister to stand aside but permits another to continue?

Senator Brandis responded:

With respect, Senator Wong, it's not which factual and legal differences that is the point. The point is that there are factual and legal differences …

This is absurd. He is smiling. Even Senator Brandis acknowledges the humour in the remarks that he's making by smiling about the comments he's made.