Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

It's the process that dare not speak its name, isn't it? The universities didn't know about it until the bill got dropped. I know Senator Paterson said why should they be privileged? I just think it's not a bad thing, when they're involved in the foreign interference task force process, to actually let them know. You might get a better outcome. Anyway, let's just be really clear: the minister and her department have been asked this regularly, including at Senate estimates, and they refuse to answer, which can only lead to one conclusion—they were a last-minute inclusion in the bill.