❓ Opposition Leader Barnett questions Minister Roberts on her handling of vote rigging allegations within the ALP, citing conflicting statements and inaction. Roberts defends her position, highlighting the ongoing police investigation and perceived hypocrisy of the opposition.
AnsweredQoN 179Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the minister to the comment made by the Commissioner of Police, Barry Matthews, on Radio 6PR this morning that the police were investigating allegations by Senator Mark Bishop of vote rigging and criminal behaviour within the Australian Labor Party because there was “the likelihood of a criminal offence”. (1) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong when she stated in this House on 1 April that “They are allegations. I do not believe those allegations to be true”? (2) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police not to seek proper legal advice on those allegations? (3) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong when she stated yesterday that Senator Mark Bishop did not make specific or general allegations of criminal misconduct? (4) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police to try to sweep this matter under the carpet and refuse to refer the allegations to the police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
(1) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong when she stated in this House on 1 April that “They are allegations. I do not believe those allegations to be true”? (2) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police not to seek proper legal advice on those allegations? (3) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong when she stated yesterday that Senator Mark Bishop did not make specific or general allegations of criminal misconduct? (4) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police to try to sweep this matter under the carpet and refuse to refer the allegations to the police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
(2) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police not to seek proper legal advice on those allegations? (3) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong when she stated yesterday that Senator Mark Bishop did not make specific or general allegations of criminal misconduct? (4) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police to try to sweep this matter under the carpet and refuse to refer the allegations to the police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
(3) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong when she stated yesterday that Senator Mark Bishop did not make specific or general allegations of criminal misconduct? (4) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police to try to sweep this matter under the carpet and refuse to refer the allegations to the police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
(4) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police to try to sweep this matter under the carpet and refuse to refer the allegations to the police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
(1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
(1) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong when she stated in this House on 1 April that “They are allegations. I do not believe those allegations to be true”? (2) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police not to seek proper legal advice on those allegations? (3) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong when she stated yesterday that Senator Mark Bishop did not make specific or general allegations of criminal misconduct? (4) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police to try to sweep this matter under the carpet and refuse to refer the allegations to the police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
(2) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police not to seek proper legal advice on those allegations? (3) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong when she stated yesterday that Senator Mark Bishop did not make specific or general allegations of criminal misconduct? (4) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police to try to sweep this matter under the carpet and refuse to refer the allegations to the police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
(3) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong when she stated yesterday that Senator Mark Bishop did not make specific or general allegations of criminal misconduct? (4) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police to try to sweep this matter under the carpet and refuse to refer the allegations to the police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
(4) Will the minister now admit that she was wrong as Minister for Police to try to sweep this matter under the carpet and refuse to refer the allegations to the police? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: (1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
(1)-(4) I am very pleased to receive this question, because, again, what we have seen today is how sly and tricky certain other people attempt to be when they ask questions like this. I note the quote from the police commissioner today. The answer to just about all of the questions is no. Listen to this quote from Commissioner Matthews on Radio 6PR this morning. He said - to continue the quote that the Leader of the Opposition started - We will only finally know that as a result of the investigation into the various documents and who did what. I have given this matter to the commercial criminal area to look at. Those people are doing an investigation. They will ultimately report to me. There is, quite properly, an investigation taking place. I am pretty incredulous about the second question. It asks me whether I will admit that I was wrong not to get advice about these matters. I suspect that had I taken documents to the police and sought Crown Law advice, police advice - all kinds of advice - on them, members opposite would have been the first to say that I was abusing my position as Minister for Police in order to get advice that I should not be getting. They would be saying that, as minister, I should be at arm’s length from these things. Mr C.J. Barnett: You should be, too! Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
Several members interjected. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS: The Leader of the Opposition wants to eat his cake and have it too. He wants to have it both ways. He cannot have it that way. What I said at the time, and what I am saying again, is that Senator Bishop is a senator. He is a lawyer. He was the head of a union for quite a number of years. He knows about these matters. He made a choice about whether to refer his complaint to the police or to the Australian Labor Party. He referred it to the State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party, not the police. That was his choice. The Leader of the Opposition has now made a complaint to the Commissioner of Police. I think it is appropriate, given that someone who holds the position that the Leader of the Opposition holds has made that complaint, that it be investigated.
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