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

There is one point I did not make in response to the question asked by Senator Xenophon, and it might go some way to allaying concerns raised by Senator Ryan in his response. I am advised by officials that the Auditor-General can currently require small business to produce documents that are relevant to an audit of a Commonwealth program. There is already preliminary lawful activity in that sense.

Senator Xenophon, you made a reference earlier to the fact that you were a former member of the upper house in South Australia, and my vague memory in the brief that I received was that the powers being sought in this bill are entirely consistent with extant powers that the auditors-general of South Australia, Western Australia and, I think, Tasmania already have. Again, in response to your question, we do have examples of how the staff of auditors in those two or three states function. I am sure that, from your own, lengthy experience in the South Australian parliament, if there had been not even abuse but misuse of authority it would have been brought to your attention through normal processes in that institution. Question put:

That the amendments (Senator Ryan's) be agreed to.

The committee divided.   [12:23]

(The Chairman—Senator Parry)

Senator Feeney did not vote, to compensate for the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Coonan.

Question negatived.