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

Going more directly to your question, Senator Fawcett: the seriousness of this matter is obvious to almost everyone who follows Australian political affairs, but it still does not seem to have dawned upon Mr Shorten. This, for example, is what Mr Peter Jennings, the executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said yesterday, and I quote, 'As a senior public servant, if you found yourself in a situation where you were seen to be collaborating with a foreign power and endangering the operations of the Australian intelligence community, there would be career-ceasing implications that would flow from that, and quite possibly criminal sanctions as well.' I think it puts Senator Dastyari into, frankly, an impossible position as far as continuing his political role is concerned—not from the coalition, not even from the media, but from Mr Peter Jennings from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and he is, of course, correct.