Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The President of the Senate, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority and I have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the exercise of IPEA's information-gathering powers where parliamentary privilege may be involved.

The purpose of this MOU is to agree to processes that will be followed when IPEA exercises its information-gathering powers under section 53 of the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority Act 2017. This will ensure IPEA's powers are exercised in a way that affords parliamentarians an opportunity to raise claims of parliamentary privilege and to safeguard the relevant information and documents whilst claims of parliamentary privilege are being considered.

The MOU details a process to be followed when a section 53 notice is issued to a parliamentarian, including where a parliamentarian wishes to make a claim of parliamentary privilege over the information or documents sought. It also details a process for issuing a section 53 notice to a third party, including what is to occur when IPEA considers that notification of the relevant parliamentarian could compromise the conduct of the audit or assurance activity.

I'd like to acknowledge the work of the President, the bipartisan members of the MOU working group and the acting Chief Executive Officer of IPEA in negotiating this agreement. I present a copy of the MOU. I can also indicate to members that the President and I will be writing to all parliamentarians providing you with copies of the MOU.