Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. As the minister has now twice admitted that he was made aware of the Minter Ellison report during discussions with his department, will he finally inform the House of when he was first informed about the existence of the report? Why did he not ask for a copy?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question, and I refer again to the answers previously given by me in this place and also to an acknowledgement of the awareness of risks identified in the Minter Ellison report and in other inquiries undertaken by the department and consultations and discussions with them prior to the delivery of the Home Insulation Program on 1 July of last year. I go on to say, Mr Speaker—through you—that the specific response on my part to any risks that were identified by the department and brought forward to me resulted in my actions in relation to establishing not only a national—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order on relevance: the minister has been asked on four occasions a specific question not about his responses but about the Minter Ellison report. Since it is clearly obvious that he will not answer the question, you should sit him down.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The minister, in conclusion.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. In particular, I acknowledge that, from a whole range of advices through the department to me, I was in a position to be able to bring forward and assess clearly the risks that had been identified and put mechanisms in place to deal with managing those risks. That includes the Installer Provider Register, that includes the audit and compliance scheme, that includes referencing Australian standards in the Building Code, that includes the establishment of memorandums of understanding with fair trading agencies and the ACCC and it includes convening regular industry consultative roundtables in order to monitor the program’s rollout. The fact is that it was the department’s role to bring me forward advice on the basis of risks identified in their consideration, and on that basis it was for me to consider that advice and put in place a—

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order that goes to relevance. We simply want to know when the minister was informed.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Menzies will resume his seat. The minister is responding to the question. He will bring his answer to a conclusion.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I conclude by saying that the whole range of other advice I received from my department informed the final program design and final program guidelines for the Home Insulation Program.