In towing the unfortunate Liberal party line of “Gillian Triggs is just the worst”, Speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop called for her resignation last night on Q&A.
The federal government has been viciously attacking Gillian Triggs in recent weeks because she, as the Human Rights Commission President, has the pesky job of reporting on/reminding the government and the Australian public about human rights abuses. Most recently it was regarding the harmful effects of keeping children in detention centres for extended periods of time. Ms Triggs has been handling these attacks like a straight up pro, to the point where there’s now a petition to have her awarded Australian of the Year.
Bronwyn Bishop: “Gillian, if I can say, that report of yours was seen by many, including me, as one that was, if it was to be done, should have been done under the previous government, when there were 2,000 children.”
“But you chose to do it afterwards and that made it very political, and it has made you a very political figure. And therefore you are subject to criticism.”
“As I said before, you have to make the decision: are you a statutory officer, carrying out an obligation with the protection of that office, or do you wish to be a political participant? If you do wish to be a political participant, then you have to be no longer a statutory officer, and perhaps stand for office.”
At this point Ms Triggs let loose a smile, perhaps because she expected this now-typical accusation, and had the perfect answer up her sleeve.
Gillian Triggs: “Well, I am a statutory officer, and that is a position of independence which allows me to speak based on the evidence and based on the law as truthfully as I can, to government and to the Australian people. That is what I believe I have been doing. I have been meeting my statutory obligations.”
“Indeed, were I to receive frequent praise and commendation from the government, I think the Australian people would have a good reason to ask for my resignation.”
[MASSIVE APPLAUSE]
[SO MASSIVE, TONY JONES HAD TO CALM THEM DOWN]
[OTHERWISE, THIS APPLAUSE WOULD HAVE LASTED THE REST OF THE SHOW]
Ms Triggs then listed a few key pieces of information to remind this government – and, indeed, all future governments – that hers was an impartial position, noting that:
- The Human Rights Commission has produced 180 different pieces of work about children in detention centres, including during the previous Labor government.
- The plan was always to hold an enquiry in 2014, and they couldn’t predict who was going to win the previous election.
- The enquiry was backward looking, not forward looking – thereby condemning the Labor government in their actions, too.
Props here to to the Q&A camera operators for flawless cuts to Ms Bishop’s reactions.
When Ms Triggs said: “I think it would be fair to say that we worked as strongly during the former government to protest against the holding of children for long periods of time, as we did under the new government.”
Ms Bishop was over here like:
And when Ms Triggs, pointed out they couldn’t possibly know which government would win the 2013 election, BRONWYN ACTUALLY ROLLED HER EYES.
Does that eye roll suggest Ms Triggs should have guessed simply by reading the Murdoch papers, perhaps?
Triggs finished the whole sorry debate with a reminder that just because the government doesn’t like the truth, doesn’t make saying it a political act.
Gillian Triggs: “Unfortunately, of course, many of our findings and recommendations are interpreted in political ways. And I’m afraid in the human rights context, it is very hard not to be perceived to be political and that’s really something we have to manage, but I can certainly assure the Australian people that the Human Rights Commission operates in a very neutral way and we operate on the basis of the rule of law, which brings us back of course to the Magna Carta.”
DING DING DING! Triggs just won this round of Q&A. Next stop, Australian of the Year.
The whole thing is now up on ABC, if you want to watch it – select “Asylum Seeker Rights 51:34” on the right to watch the calmest worded showdown in Q&A history.
