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

Virtually none, Senator. So, Senator, the obligation that you demand of my side of politics is not an obligation that lies only upon the government. The obligation of senators to the chamber is broader than the obligation of the government to be accountable to the parliament. All senators have an obligation to the chamber to account for their conduct, and if allegations of misconduct, particularly allegations that, to put it plainly, go to the fitness of a person to serve in the Senate, are made then that senator against whom those allegations are made has an obligation to give an account of himself.

I want to stress that the allegations are not made by the government. The allegations were made by Fairfax Media and the ABC—two media organisations that have never been regarded as particular friends of my side of politics, by the way—but, given the gravity of the allegations, they have been raised by me and by other members of the government in the Senate this morning.