Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. I refer the Attorney-General to the email from Mr Gregory Burton to Commissioner Heydon which has been released which forwards an email which has as its subject matter 'Liberal Party of Australia, New South Wales Division, Lawyers Branch and Legal Policy Branch', in relation of course to the Barwick address. Can the Attorney-General advise when he or his office first became aware that Commissioner Heydon was invited to address this Liberal Party fundraiser, and when and how did the Attorney or his office become aware that the commissioner had accepted the invitation?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I became aware on Thursday morning. I instituted an inquiry. My office had become aware some months earlier and apologised on my behalf because I had already, at the time that my office received the date-claimer notice, accepted another event, which was in the diary.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I again refer to the email which has been released dated 12 June 2015 clearly demonstrating that this is a Liberal Party fundraiser. Can the Attorney-General advise when he became aware of this email and the commissioner's knowledge of this email?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first I became aware of the matter was, as I have said, on Thursday morning. I have this morning seen the emails produced by the commissioner. The one to which you are referring was 12 June—is that right?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have that. I saw it for the first time a couple of hours ago.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the Attorney-General advise the Senate of all communications between him, his office and his department and Commissioner Heydon about the commissioner's decision to accept an invitation to speak at a Liberal Party fundraiser on 26 August 2015?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not aware that there were any communications from my department, but I will check. I am not aware that there were any communications from my office to the commissioner, but, as I said in answer to your earlier question, an apology was sent as a matter of routine when the save-the-date email was received earlier in the year. It is a matter of public record that, on Thursday morning, I rang the commissioner when I first became aware that he had been scheduled to give the Sir Garfield Barwick lecture. I rang him because I was concerned about that, but it was a very brief conversation because the commissioner said to me, 'You don't need to go on, because I have already this morning indicated that I will not be proceeding with the commitment.'