Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

I rise to make a statement in regard to comments made by Senator Cameron today in a senator's statement. In his statement I believe he egregiously misrepresented the comments of both me and Senator Paterson in a private Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee meeting held earlier today. Senator Cameron's comments—he didn't have the courtesy to advise me he would be making the statement—can only be characterised as a massive own goal by Senator Cameron. As senators, elected representatives and legislators, it is incumbent on us all to respect parliamentary process and the chamber in which we serve. I am extremely disappointed and disgusted by Senator Cameron's wilful misrepresentation and mischaracterisation of the committee's proceedings this morning. Unlike Senator Cameron, I will not be breaching standing orders and privilege and will not be disclosing unauthorised information, as he has done now twice in this chamber in two days. But I would observe that, in addition to misrepresenting me and Senator Paterson, Senator Cameron has, by his very misrepresentation, made further unauthorised disclosures of private committee deliberations in contravention of the Senate standing orders and privilege resolutions. That is twice in two days. Senator Cameron's consistent unauthorised disclosures of committee information and his complete disregard for parliamentary process not just is undermining the work of this particular committee but also brings the integrity of the Senate and the Australian parliament into disrepute.