The SPEAKER —I inform the House that I have received a copy of a resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly of Queensland on 11 November 2003 relating to Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge. I do not propose to read the resolution to the House. Copies have been placed on the table and the full text will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings and Hansard.

The resolution read as follows—

Resolution agreed to by the Legislative Assembly of Queensland on 11 November 2003

(1) That this Parliament refers to the Crime and Misconduct Commission for consideration and advice:

1. Comments regarding the Queensland justice system in the judgement of the Court of Appeal in the cases of Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge, in particular:

(39) “it should be understood that result (the release of the appellants) will not mean the process has to this point been unlawful. While the appellants experience will in that event have been insupportably painful they will have endured the consequence of adjudication through due process in accordance with what is compendiously termed the rule of law.”

(40) ... “it is my view that had both appellants been represented by experienced trial counsel through-out, the relevance of all of the evidence would more likely have been addressed with appropriate precision.”

(41) “the case will in my view provide a further illustration of the need for a properly resourced, highly talented, top level team of prosecutors within or available to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. In this complex case which resulted in a trial of that length, and the consumption of vast public resourc-es, highly talented lawyers of broad common law experience should desirably have been engaged from the outset in the prepara-tion and then presentation of the Crown case. ... had that been done, the present difficulty may well have been avoided.”

2. The involvement of Federal Minister, Tony Abbott and others in the original legal action against Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge.

3. Submissions from any interested party in relation to these matters.

Further, this parliament calls on the Aust-ra-lian Electoral Commission to ensure that donors to the fund established by Tony Abbott are fully disclosed in the public arena.

(2) That this House requests the Commonwealth Parliament to establish an inquiry to investi-gate the possible invol-vement of members of the Commonwealth Parliament and others in the process or funding of the investigation and civil and criminal prosecution of Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge and that the Speaker, on behalf of the Legislative Assembly, relay this request to both Houses of the Commonwealth Parliament.

R K Hollis N J LaurieSpeaker of the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly Parliament