Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Home Ownership) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Rennick, you can have a right of reply, if you'd like one, otherwise we will put the question on the motion.

Gerard Rennick (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do have a right of reply? Fantastic! I'll take it. I'm glad I'm given a right of reply, because I know that the Labor Party pushed back on my idea of having an independent judicial commission, despite the fact that they themselves support it. I think that we have seen many cases where judges are making decisions and, as one friend of mine who himself is a solicitor and who contacted me out of the blue said, being intellectually dishonest. I know, in the recent case with Senator Hanson, I have serious issues about that. Free speech is free speech. I know that that may go back to court, so I won't say anything more about that at the moment, but I do think that we desperately need someone to hold the judges to account in Australia. They don't have any oversight whatsoever. I have heard stories of some judicial decisions taking years to be handed down, which cost the people involved in those court cases a lot of money.

I would ask that the Labor Party support this motion. I think, in general, they do support a judicial commission but for some reason they don't want an inquiry into it. I think we need to have an inquiry and I would like Labor to bring this forward as policy before the next election. If they really wanted to clean up corruption and judicial integrity in this country, they would pass the legislation. What are we waiting for, guys? Let's bring it on.

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Home Ownership) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion be agreed to. A division is required. As it is after 6.30 pm, that will happen tomorrow. The debate is adjourned accordingly.

Debate adjourned.