Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

First, in relation to the comments about when settlements occur, it is a very long time since I was a lawyer, but from the dim, dark recesses of my memory I recall that settlements would occur at many, many stages in the process—sometimes, as you know, before proceedings were issued, sometimes shortly after proceedings were issued and sometimes, as you identify, after proceedings had commenced, including hearings. The response I would make to what you've put to me is that the advice I have is that this matter was settled in accordance with legal principle and practice, informed by external legal advice, and model litigant obligations were upheld.