Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

These are important matters that go to parliamentary privilege, which is absolute. I want to place on record my thanks for the President's engagement on this and his commitment to ensuring that the parliamentary privilege protections that are afforded to members of this place are retained in a very different environment in which there is substantially more information obtained and held by other parties. So I do want to say to you, Mr President, that the opposition has appreciated your engagement on this and we look forward to the revision of the MOU, as between the Australian Federal Police and the executive, as we discussed, I think, a year ago. Obviously, there have been other matters since that time that have reminded certainly opposition senators, but I would say all in this place, of the importance of ensuring that parliamentary privilege for all senators is protected.