Appointment as Attorney-General of Australia

I would like to thank my Labor colleagues, and Prime Minister Albanese for the trust they have shown in appointing me Attorney-General of Australia.

It is clear there is a great deal of work to do in the Attorney-General's portfolio and first and foremost is the need to repair and strengthen the keystone of our democratic system - the rule of law. 

A crucial aspect of this will be legislating before the end of this year Labor's commitment to the establishment of a powerful, transparent and independent national anti-corruption commission.

Labor will also act to restore integrity to the process of appointments in the portfolio by returning to the transparent, merit-based system we practiced when last in government, including for positions such as those on the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the Australian Human Rights Commission.

I will also be working closely with my colleague, Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney to put a Voice to Parliament in the Constitution.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart, delivered five years ago, remains a deeply generous offer for a partnership to pursue meaningful reconciliation as a nation. This is an offer our nation cannot afford to let slip by.

As I said when first appointed Attorney-General in 2013 by Prime Minister Gillard, "Australia's legal system should provide a framework that allows us to protect and care for all Australians, including our elderly, our sick, our injured, our workers, our new arrivals, our indigenous people, our young and our outspoken writers, artists and journalists."

These principles have guided my career since my first days as a barrister. As Attorney-General I will work to uphold the rule of law and restore integrity to public life in Australia.