Mark Bishop (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Nothing new was presented in public that was not on the public record. What that means as a matter of logic is that you cannot engage in questioning and dialogue on matters that witnesses and law enforcement agencies do not wish to bring to you. Why do they not want to bring that information to a parliamentary committee? It is because the act that established the ACC and regulates the role of the committee provides for a different mechanism of regulation and oversight. The ACC reports to its board. That reports to an intergovernmental committee comprising seven ministers which in turn reports to individual ministers. In those lines of oversight, regulation and authority there is no role for the parliamentary committee; hence, officers of law enforcement agencies, properly, will not engage in dialogue or will refuse to answer questions because they do not believe it is the role or the responsibility of the committee to inquire into those matters. Those matters are properly regulated through the structure of authority. I have no quarrel with that.