Thursday, 10 February 2022

Member conduct

Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:07): My question is to the Leader of the Government. Leader, I note the passage yesterday of motion 698 from Mr Somyurek, referring matters concerning the red shirts and other corruption to the Ombudsman, and I ask: will the minister assure the house that every member of the Australian Labor Party in both houses will cooperate fully with the Ombudsman and IBAC as they conduct their inquiries?

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:07): I am not going to speculate on or predict what the Ombudsman is going to do with the referral from this house; that is a matter for her. I would repeat my earlier answer to Dr Bach in that I expect every member of Parliament to comply with their legal obligations, and I expect that will be the case.

Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:08): Minister, during the Ombudsman’s previous investigation into the red shirts rorts, your government fought all the way to the High Court to prevent the Ombudsman’s inquiry from proceeding, squandering in fact over a million dollars in taxpayers funds, and I ask, therefore: will you assure the house there will be no further legal challenges to the Ombudsman’s powers and the conduct of an inquiry?

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:08): Mr Davis, I was pretty clear in my answer to your substantive question that I am not in a position to speculate or provide commentary on a hypothetical situation.