Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about an appalling line of questions that was asked in the Senate Community Affairs Committee earlier today in relation to the former staff of my good friend Senator Reynolds. I'm not going to name the Labor senator who engaged in the questioning because I'm sure, knowing her or him as I do, that they were given the questions to ask, so these comments are addressed to the leadership of the Australian Labor Party. It is inappropriate to ask questions in relation to the former staff of a minister of the nature that was asked today—totally inappropriate. When you ask those sort of questions, which would not be acceptable in any other workplace in this country, you have real-life human consequences on those former staff. It is unacceptable, and it is part of a pattern of behaviour of persecution and harassment of my good friend Senator Reynolds and her former staff from the Labor Party. And the responsibility sits squarely on Prime Minister Albanese, because the senator who asked those questions today would not have been asked to ask those questions unless the Prime Minister knew about it. It is unacceptable. It would not be accepted in any other workplace in this country. It needs to stop.

We should be setting an example for all Australians in how we conduct ourselves, not as to how to navigate the lower depths of a political sewer and treat former staff as collateral damage. It is unacceptable, and I call upon the Labor government leadership to deeply reflect on what occurred this morning. Three times the senior Public Service official said, 'Stop, desist,' but they continued with those inappropriate appalling questions. (Time expired)