Senator Xenophon Uses or Abuses Parliamentary Privilege to Name Alleged Abuse Priest?, by Maryjane Fenech, ABC Melbourne, September 14, 2011

Senator Xenophon Uses or Abuses Parliamentary Privilege to Name Alleged Abuse Priest?

By Maryjane Fenech
ABC Melbourne
September 14, 2011

http://blogs.abc.net.au/victoria/2011/09/senator-xenophon-uses-or-abuses-parliamentary-privilege-to-name-alleged-abuse-priest-.html

[with audio]

Last night, Senator Nick Xenophon controversially used his parliamentary privilege to name a priest at the centre of an alleged seminary rape scandal. He says he was forced to do this as the Catholic church failed to stand the man down while investigating the allegations.

Waleed wanted to know if you thought that Senator Xenophon was right in 'naming and shaming' or if it was an abuse of parliamentary privilege? Constitutional lawyer and Vice Chancellor of the Australian Catholic University, Professor Greg Craven told Waleed that he thought "it was absolutely improper and a deeply troubling abuse of parliamentary privilege" as the Senator will get off 'scot-free' by announcing it in 'coward's castle' rather than be accountable for his actions.

But was the Senator left with no choice as he stated yesterday prior to his announcement? State Labor MP Ann Barker wrote to Attorney General Robert Clarke in July requesting that an inquiry be set up in Victoria to investigate the internal processes of the Catholic church. She requested this following a visit to Ireland where she studied their inquires into sexual abuse cases within the Catholic church. Ann Barker told Waleed that she could understand that people would become 'frustrated' due to the slowness of the internal investigations.

You didn't miss a thing. You can listen online now.