Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Bob Carr. I refer the minister to his public comments regarding the James Ashby allegations against the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Peter Slipper. I remind the minister of his tweet of 5 May 2012 which said:

This Ashby seems more rehearsed than a kabuki actor.

I also refer the minister to the recent reports of appalling, derogatory and misogynistic text messages sent by Mr Slipper to Mr Ashby. Given that the Commonwealth has now settled with Mr Ashby for a sum of $50,000, does the minister stand by his previous public comments on this matter and does he believe that Mr Slipper is now an international embarrassment?

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first point to make is that this matter is in the court, where it belongs.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is in the court! The second point to make—

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When there is silence.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Therefore, I stand absolutely by my comments that this matter should have gone straight to court and not been filtered through the political process.

The second point I would make is this—and if the opposition regarded the comments that emerged in the court as repellent in their attitude towards women as we do on this side of the House, they would join me in giving an unqualified condemnation of those comments—that I am advised the government has entered into a deed with Mr Ashby which provides releases to the Commonwealth and gives effect to the settlement reached. The government takes sexual harassment in the workplace very seriously. That is the very reason that these matters belonged in the court from the first place, and did not belong—

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why did you comment on Ashby before?

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are going to have to ask Brandis why he commented on—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When there is silence we will proceed.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. The minister was asked two specific questions: does he stand by his previous public comments in this matter, that he was more rehearsed than a kabuki actor—

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Answered that—answered!

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He stands by that—thank you very much. And whether Mr Slipper—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Just wait a minute: it is improper to debate the matter across the chamber. You are quite entitled to make a point of order, and if someone wishes to take another point of order based on the matter before the chair that is an entitlement that exists. So I discourage people from debating it across the chamber.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If I may: given Senator Carr's interjection, I withdraw my first request because it is now on the record that Senator Carr acknowledges that he stands by his previous public comments.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! That is debating the issue!

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I therefore move to the second aspect of my point of order, which was whether or not the minister believes that Mr Slipper is now an international embarrassment.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I would urge you to rule that there is no point of order. Despite the question probably being out of order in the sense that it did not refer to the minister's ministerial responsibilities, he has been giving a comprehensive and fulsome answer. There is no point of order.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The minister has 31 seconds remaining.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to inform the Senate that mediation was held with all parties last week. I am advised that the government's hope with this was that this process would bring about settlement between all parties. Unfortunately, the mediation was unable to settle the matter between Mr Ashby and Mr Slipper. The terms of the settlement are public, and they include an express provision that the Commonwealth does not accept liability.

As anyone who has been in these matters— (Time expired)

Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question, although I would like to note that there was not one bit of relevance in the answer to that part of the question.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! No! You need to ask a question, Senator.

Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer the minister to the fact that Mr Slipper, with the Serbian ambassador, is tonight hosting an evening of traditional Serbian food, wine and dancing in the Speaker's courtyard. Is the foreign minister attending this function? And if not, why not? Does he believe that it is appropriate that Mr Slipper is hosting such events with the representatives of foreign countries while under such a cloud?

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not attending this activity. I think it would probably be interesting to look at how Speakers in coalition governments have used their office in similar activities and frolics. I am certain that there is a long record and maybe that information ought to be revealed to put in context what is being raised here. But the short answer is: I am not going to the celebration. I cannot speak for other senators or members of the House of Representatives.

Helen Kroger (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask a supplementary question, Mr President. I refer to the fact that since this scandal broke, Mr Slipper has officially visited Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Cyprus and, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, in the coming months he has booked trips to Italy, Morocco, Malta, Algeria, Tunisia, Qatar and Argentina. Given today's reports of Mr Slipper's disgraceful and misogynistic attitude to women, does the minister believe that Mr Slipper is an appropriate person to represent the Parliament of Australia?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister can answer that question insomuch as it applies to the portfolio.

Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Speaker is not subject to directions—and this will be a stunning revelation to the constitutional lawyers over there—from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, nor, I suspect, from any minister. This neat tweaking of constitutional niceties by the opposition is quite irrelevant. Mr President, I am very grateful for the opportunity of assisting Senator Kroger as generously as I have been able with relevant information to her question. I do not think that I can assist her further.