Christopher Pyne labels bias controversy over royal commission head Dyson

Justice Heydon says he was unaware it was a fund-raiser, and Attorney-General George Brandis has gone further, arguing it was not a not a party political event at all.

“Why a barrister in the Liberal Party thought it was a good idea to invite him is beyond me, but Dyson Heydon’s doing a terrific job”, he said.

In his response, Mr Heydon indicated he would be willing to address the Sir Garfield Barwick Lecture in the future, once the royal commission had wrapped up.

As the High Court has noted in one judgment, delivered during Justice Heydon’s time on the bench, it is fundamental to the administration of justice for a judge to be neutral.

John Dyson Heydon is, at first blush, an unlikely candidate for disqualification from sitting on a court or a statutory inquiry into corruption and maladministration. Invitations were sent on Liberal Party letterhead, with invitees advised to make the $80-a-head cost payable to the party’s NSW division.

ABBOTT government frontbencher Christopher Pyne has blamed the New South Wales Liberal Party for creating a “storm in a teacup” over Royal Commissioner Dyson Heydon.

Mr Heydon withdrew from the function on Thursday, a day after he was told by the organiser in an email that it was being run by a Liberal Party branch.

Manager of Opposition business Tony Burke disagreed.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is also standing by Mr Heydon, describing him as a man of “utmost integrity”.

The Greens’ spokesman on industrial relations, Adam Bandt, called for Heydon to resign.

Asked whether all correspondence relating to the dinner should be publicly released, Mr Abbott said: “That is really a matter for the royal commissioner”.

“He is conflicted, he is biased, the royal commission is a farce”.

However, Justice Minister Michael Keenan described Labor’s attacks as “warped priorities”.

The government says the Heydon royal commission was needed to expose systemic misbehaviour and poor governance within the Australian union movement, as shown in the case of the Health Services Union.

During Shorten’s evidence on 9 July, Heydon chided the Labor leader for “non-responsive” answers to some questions.

It’s understood the ACTU is seeking legal advice on whether there was scope for court action to end the inquiry.