Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Yesterday, Senator Lambie falsely claimed under parliamentary privilege that I had leaked her private personal phone number. Senators Birmingham and Wong falsely implied that I had published private information. This ambush was coordinated for the start of question time, in front of journalists, with no warning, so that I could not fully address the false claims and ask Senators Lambie, Birmingham and Wong to withdraw them, as I now do.

The phone number in question was not private. Senator Lambie herself had posted the number to her Facebook page multiple times, as far back as 2019. It's already available on the internet in letters and posts Senator Lambie had previously published.

The criticisms made yesterday were based on the claim that this number was private and confidential. This is evidently not the case. The phone number was already in the public domain and remains so. It's not possible to leak a phone number already in the public domain and nor is it private. The phone number was in the periphery of a post that I'd reposted and that focused on a reversal of Senator Lambie's stance against injection mandates to now supporting injection mandates. The post did not emphasise the phone number nor call on anyone to contact Senator Lambie. Senator Lambie's own Facebook followers condemned her speech against Senator Hanson's bill on Monday. Senator Lambie needs to take responsibility for her own comments and those of her Facebook followers and for repeatedly posting her phone number.

Breaches of privacy should be condemned. Senator Lambie's phone number was not leaked. It was not private. It was already in the public domain. I ask that Senators Lambie, Wong and Birmingham withdraw any comments accusing me of leaking a private number and apologise for them. Both Senate leaders showed yet again that decisions, policies and legislation in the Senate are all too often based on opinions and hearsay, not data and facts. Sadly, for that the people of Australia pay needlessly, heavily, repeatedly, every day.