Extraordinary. Defence’s Celia Perkins says she refused to answer questions on selling off police-used Defence land—despite knowing the answer, coz Shoebridge’s questions are “distressing”🤦‍♂️ Shoebridge “This isn’t dental surgery! You’re meant to give the answers you know!”🔥 ffs

No wonder Perkins tried to put a gag on her evidence going onto social media. It’s absolutely embarrassing, she must be sacked.

Do we have ANY idea what salary this person is currently taking home? FFS! Don't worry, I searched.... a base salary of $432,541 & a total remuneration package of $516,557.

“Why do I have to cover things up?” Boss “umm, Your salary, ma’am?” “Got it”

Senate Estimates is where you answer questions asked, honestly & to the best of your ability. By not wanting to answer, this woman has distressed herself. As my 1st question, I would like to ask “What is your salary?”.

Whatever the salary, it’s too much. She’s misled the Senate. She should be prosecuted.

Agree. I’m sick to death of 20 yrs+ senior public servants on salaries higher than the PM thinking they aren’t accountable to the public. Arrogant & useless.

If she can't do her job, which includes facing and answering senate enquiries, she should resign.

Questions are distressing? Kinda like when a child has blatantly lied and been caught out? Who’s being protected? On whose instructions? Why? This doesn’t happen in a vacuum!

You don’t get to renege on your responsibilities of your job because it’s stressful. If you can’t handle the heat Celia get the fuck out of the kitchen

Celia finds it distressing & obviously she is. How much does this person get paid? Christ on a bike 🤦‍♀️ She has a Bachelor of Arts in *checks notes* Communications

I find her attitude rather bizarre , she would know exactly what is expected at those senate committees. Makes me wonder what is she really trying to hide? 🤔

She'll be on stress leave in a nanosecond.🙄

🤣🤣🤣🤣 ‘I find your questioning 🤨 often a little bit distressing’ - @DavidShoebridge 💚👨🏼‍⚖️⚖️ what a Masterclass of Integration!

She gets a choice? That wouls set a precedent and make Senate a joke. There MUST be consequences.

Distressing? She’s a fkg public servant whose job is to front up to senate committee hearings and answer questions about how her dept has done their job. Her poor me sh*t earlier and now she’s distressed? Obviously not up to the job

Perkins is a senior official. Her Defence bio says she has held several key policy, international, and intelligence positions, contributed to major initiatives including the establishment of the ASPI. No excues. To find such questioning "distressing" is a joke. .../2

I’m starting to be speechless. Who are these people? Why are they in those jobs? It looks like they are overpaid it is so shocking

@JaquelineOutram Distressing? Show this Dep Sec some old tapes of Bishop, Heffernan or Minchin. Shoebridge runs a polite university tutorial compared to that lot.

🤬🤯 now she gets to face stares and sniggers

I want to know what her Minister has to say about his bureaucrat trying to call the shots.

And she's a public servant!!!! FFS.

Can’t help thinking she’s a friend of Senator Wong, given the similar reaction to, and distaste of Senator Shoebridge’s style of scrutiny and oversight.

👏Dear Stranger: I'm hardly the first one to compliment you on your SM contributions (Robodebt Commissioner won that prize, methinks) but may I add to all the appreciation sent your way for making it so easy for us Twitterati to witness performances at enquiries. Well done‼️👏👏

@StuartMcCarthy_ there's more and it's bad.

Great to see some senators hold these people to account. Discrageful. If you’re not up to the job the job should be done by someone else. There are competent people who could do this role.

Not “dental surgery” but through persistence & common logic Shoebridge extracted a simple answer. Looking forward to Segal.

If Celia Perkins finds straightforward, simple 'yes or no' questions "distressing" then she needs to go. Primary school children are expected to give an honest 'yes or no' even when they know the teacher may not like the answer. Hell, we expect that of toddlers! Truly pathetic.

haha, she clutched her dog collar like it was pearls. a little hand wave to cool herself, a little "oh my" and I would have filled my trifecta.

Distressing?? Heaven forfend! 😱

I'd love to run Senate estimates. I'd have the bailiff ready with a van to take them off for a few nights in the cells. That would loosen their tongues.

How fucking far up yourself are you required to be, to be as arrogant as this useless defensive defence offical! Would the true blue Aussies in Australian Public Service please stand up!

This is incredible! Distressing is when you are hiding something and don’t want to be honest in public hearings. Ffs.

Celia Perkin's arrogance is a performance.

She should ask for a transfer to work for Penny Wong. She has all the skills necessary.

$516,557! Can Perkins show us one single thing she has done to justify her wage?

This is fun. Can we have more of this. Thanks Senator! lol. Distressing!! I find the collapse of our moral framework distressing, but she finds grown up conversations distressing. 🫠

Seems it's distressing for her because she's being asked to be accountable and transparent. What a shocking display of contempt for the public she has put on.

I think I’ll call Senator Shoebridge “ The Dentist”… from now on…..

Hi again Ms Perkins plz settle into the restraints and Dr Shoebridge will be with you in a minute.

Dear Dr. Shoebridge.. Keep needling them, keep drilling, keep pulling out their teeth,( to stop them lying through them) and yes Dr. there is a waiting room full of patients….💉

🤣