Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

I know you have a bit of an obsession in this area, Senator Paterson, and are looking for an opportunity to expose or expand on foreign interference in any aspect of our society—and good luck to you in doing that; I don't have any difficulty with that. The AEC monitor these things very closely—much more closely. I'm happy to take you into the AEC one day and show you what they do in this space to keep an eye on all of these things. If they felt that there was an issue that needed to be addressed in this area, I'm sure the first thing they would do is make contact with me about it—or, for that matter, with the Attorney General, if it were something in his bailiwick. As I said before, I was talking with the AEC yesterday. I've got the greatest confidence that they will conduct the referendum in exactly the appropriate way, but that if an issue of foreign interference does arise then we will become aware of it and we will take appropriate action.