Rex Patrick (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Just to make it very clear, this is the finding of the AAT: 'The decision under review is set aside and substituted with a decision that the disputed material is not exempt from disclosure under the FOI Act and that Senator Patrick is given access to the disputed material.' I am quite within my rights to come in here and challenge the efficacy and the ability of the Attorney-General to make proper decisions. Actually, one of the roles of the Senate is to hold the executive to account. In this instance, the Attorney-General sought to censor the parliament and did so improperly. He did so without regard to the law, did so without regard to respect for the parliament. Along the way, the Attorney-General has thrown everything at this. He tried to raise a constitutional matter, which of course required careful consideration, required public money to be spent on the AGS, because the AGS were representing the Prime Minister in this particular case. It required spending taxpayers' money, and then at the very last minute the case on the constitutional matter was withdrawn. It was just a waste of taxpayers' money. If I want to stand in this chamber and say that the Attorney-General did not exercise good judgement, I'm quite entitled to do so. Don't you dare—