Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. When did the Hon. Brian Martin advise the Attorney-General that he intended to resign as royal commissioner into the child protection and youth detention systems of the government of the Northern Territory?

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

It was on the Saturday morning after his appointment was announced.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, a supplementary question?

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to refer to the Attorney-General's transcript of 1 August 2016, entitled 'Press conference with Mr Mick Gooda and Justice Margaret White', noting that the version of the transcript currently online differs from the version originally circulated. Why was the initial version of the transcript altered to exclude the Attorney-General's words, which revealed that Mr Martin had resigned on the Saturday?

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

I am neither aware that the transcript was put online nor aware that it was altered. But you asked me when Mr Martin told me that he was proposing to resign, and that was on the Saturday morning. I had a number of conversations with Mr Martin during the course of that weekend. I cannot tell you the day he formally was discharged from his letters patent but I assume that that was on a working day in the following week, when the Executive Council was able to meet. But when he first indicated to me that he wished to resign, or proposed to resign, was when he contacted me on the Saturday morning.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, a final supplementary question?

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is this the best that you, Minister, as the first law officer of this nation, can offer Australians: the doctoring of transcripts to cover up unintentional revelations?

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

As I said to you, Senator, I am not aware of the fact of a transcript being posted. I am unaware of it being altered. I do not know that it was altered, but you are an honest person, Senator Sterle, so I will take you at your word that the transcript was corrected. But, as to the main point of your question—when did I first become aware that Mr Martin proposed to resign and to seek to be released from the letters patent?—it was when I spoke to him by the telephone on the Saturday morning.