David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Attorney-General, Senator Brandis. Can the Attorney-General update the Senate on the national security implications of media reports this morning in relation to foreign political interference?

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

Yes, I can. I might say that the reports in this morning's Fairfax papers are extremely serious. This morning Fairfax reported that:

… Sam Dastyari warned Chinese Communist Party-linked political donor Huang Xiangmo last year that his phone was likely tapped by government agencies … Mr Dastyari gave Mr Huang counter-surveillance advice, saying they should leave their phones inside and go outside to speak.

On 1 September last year, I stood in this place and called upon Senator Dastyari to answer 47 specific questions about the payment of his personal debts by his foreign benefactor. His response to those questions was so woefully inadequate that the opposition leader was left with no option but to demote him to the backbench. Today there are even more questions to be answered, and they are even more serious.

As I said this morning, if the allegations reported in Fairfax papers are true, then Senator Dastyari has serious questions to answer about the extent to which he is under the influence of foreign interests. Why would an Australian senator warn a foreign national, who has been reported as being of security interest, to conduct a clandestine conversation out of fear that they may be being listened to by Australia's security services? Why would an Australian senator wilfully engage in activity aimed at impeding a suspected national security investigation? If Senator Dastyari cannot satisfactorily explain these matters then his position has become untenable.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bushby, on a supplementary question.

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the Attorney-General advise the Senate of the importance of handling national security allegations such as these with honesty and transparency?

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

Senator Bushby, very important indeed. Just as in September last year, Senator Dastyari's response to the Fairfax allegations has been woefully inadequate. In his press release this morning, he completely failed to address the claim that he and Mr Huang held a covert conversation at Senator Dastyari's suggestion, separated by their phones in order to avoid surveillance. He failed to explain why he would take deliberate countersurveillance measures to conduct a covert conversation with Mr Huang. In stating that he had not received briefings from security agencies, he completely failed to address the claim that he had been counselled by his own party leadership after the initial report surfaced last year. That is the sort of chicanery we have come to expect from Senator Dastyari, but this time the allegations are much more serious. (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bushby, a final supplementary question.

David Bushby (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the Attorney-General further advise the Senate of the importance of ensuring our political process is free from political interference, conducted with integrity and in Australia's national interest?

Senator Cameron interjecting—

Senator Kim Carr interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senators Carr and Cameron, can we please hear the question before the commentary begins?

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

As I stated this morning, this matter is a serious test for Mr Shorten, who last year dealt with Senator Dastyari by a slap on the wrist, benching him for less than five months, only then to reward him with a senior parliamentary position in this chamber.

This morning, rather than calling for Senator Dastyari to provide a full account to the public and the parliament, Mr Shorten has issued a statement that appears to excuse Senator Dastyari's deliberate concealment of his conversations with Mr Huang because:

… he did not pass on any classified information …

The opposition leader has so spectacularly failed to grasp the importance of the situation that he appears to consider it acceptable for one of his senior colleagues to advise foreign nationals on how to conceal their conversations from Australian security agencies.

Senator Jacinta Collins interjecting—

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Collins, your colleague is on his feet and waiting to ask a question.

Senator Jacinta Collins interjecting—

Senator Collins! I've called you to order on a number of occasions. Your colleague is on his feet. Senator Cameron.