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

Senator Farrell, I am familiar with the ministerial code and the standards, from which you have quoted selectively, I'm sorry to say, Senator Farrell, because what those standards also say is that, if a minister makes a mistake in a statement to parliament, they are under an obligation to correct that statement at the earliest possible opportunity. In relation to my colleague Senator Cash, notwithstanding all the jibes that have come across the chamber from your colleagues in the last couple of weeks, the truth is that the moment Senator Cash became aware that statements that she had made to the Senate estimates committee were incorrect she went right back into that estimates committee after the dinner adjournment and corrected them immediately—immediately; at the first opportunity. That's the position in relation to Senator Cash, Senator Farrell: she was absolutely impeccable in her obedience to the ministerial standards. Her misstatements to the Senate committee were inadvertent, as she has explained many times, because she herself had been misinformed, and the moment she became aware that she had been misinformed she went straight back into the estimates committee and corrected the record at once.

In relation to my colleague Senator Fifield, your question is based on an entirely false premise, Senator Farrell. Senator Fifield has at no stage misled the chamber in relation to anything. In fact, he has been asked about this matter several times this week and has been very thorough and very forthright and very accurate in his responses.