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

No, leave is not granted, but, if I could, I will make a short statement as to why. I've just been handed this; thank you for the courtesy. There are quite a number of adverse assertions about third parties. Usually, in the course of a committee hearing, those would be considered in more details, because, obviously, tabling it gives these allegations the protection of parliamentary privilege. We will consider it more closely, but I just wanted to reflect, Senator Nampijinpa Price, that there are obviously assertions here against a number of people, and it is a big step to put it into the parliament and give it privilege. We'd like the opportunity to consider that, and we'll have a discussion with you.