Senator Nick Xenophon must abandon his support for George Brandis following confirmation the Attorney-Generals now notorious Direction was a personal attack on the Solicitor-General.
On Tuesday, Senator Xenophon justified his support for the Attorney-General on the grounds that I accept the Attorney-General says it was not an attempt to nobble the Solicitor-General.
But just a day later, Senator Brandis Queensland LNP colleague Andrew Laming directly contradicted this, admitting that the Direction was designed entirely as a personal attack on the Solicitor-General.
Dr Laming told ABC Radio the Direction was no longer required because Mr Gleeson is gone and that this was done because they didnt trust Gleeson.
Senator Brandis misled the Senate by falsely claiming he consulted the Solicitor-General about the Legal Services Direction, a claim flatly contradicted by the Solicitor-General in evidence to a Senate Inquiry.
Given reports today that this latest embarrassment has proven the final straw for the Prime Minister it is disappointing that Senator Xenophon is giving the Attorney-General a leave pass on a clear breach of such a fundamental principle of Ministerial accountability to the Parliament.