Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lambie for her question, of which I have no notice. I am not aware of the matters to which Senator Lambie refers. If the matters to which Senator Lambie refers at the beginning of her question are matters of fact, and if they are correct as she has described them to the chamber, then, in any circumstances, they would be completely unacceptable actions in any context—not just the context in which Senator Lambie has raised it. However, Senator Lambie has gone on in her question to assert that these matters are—I think, and I stand to be corrected by the Hansardstandard behaviour or routine, or some variation of those words. I absolutely reject that. These are not appropriate behaviours, they are not supported in any context in the Australian Defence Force and they are not standard behaviour. I will follow these matters up, Senator Lambie, and come back to the chamber with further information.