Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The minister should perhaps check his facts first. I did indeed write to the Auditor-General and I got a response. In light of the minister’s comment where he advised the Senate that the inquiry would be suspended, I seek to quote from a letter from the ANAO, funnily enough addressed to me:

The audit will have regard to the outcomes of the review being undertaken by the government staffing committee in respect of the engagement process.

So, Minister, on the basis that you have now told us that it will be suspended, how will the ANAO undertake its inquiry, given that it ‘will have regard to the outcomes of the review being undertaken by the government staffing committee’? Minister, is it a deliberate attempt to cover up this grubby deal done between the Prime Minister’s office and Mr Taubenschlag’s company or are you going to give the ANAO full access and are you now going to again put that committee back together so that the ANAO can investigate?