Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

I table a response to a question taken on notice during question time on Monday 22 February and additional information to an answer on Tuesday 23 February 2021, asked by Senators Waters, and to a question asked on 18 Ferbary 2021 by Senator McAllister, relating to allegations of sexual assault, and seek leave to have the document incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The document read as follows—

Dear Mr President

I write with regard to a question I took on notice from Senator Waters during Question Time on Monday 22 February 2021 and my letter that day responding to the question, and to add to an answer I provided to Senator Waters during Question Time on Tuesday 23 February 2021, on the matter of Members of Parliament Staff.

I am advised that, at the request of Minister Reynolds' office, the Department of Parliamentary Services cancelled the Parliament House access pass of the male staff member in question on 27 March 2019 and no pass, either staff or sponsored, has been issued to this person since that time.

I am also advised that given that the logs for signing in guests to Parliament House are manually recorded, it is impossible to establish quickly if the person in question has been signed into the building by a pass holder at any time since March 2019, and of course any member of the public was able to freely enter its public areas prior to COVID-19 restrictions.

I am also advised by the Attorney-General's Department, which is responsible for administering the Lobbyist Register, that the individual in question is not currently listed on the Lobbyist Register. The individual has previously been registered but was deregistered from the Lobbyist Register in May 2020. The Lobbyist Register does not contain information about individual meetings that lobbyists undertake.

I also write to add to an answer I provided to Senator McAllister during Question Time on Thursday 18 February 2021, on the matter of Members of Parliament Staff.

I am not aware of any incidents of backgrounding and the Prime Minister is not aware of any incidents. As I have stated, the Prime Minister does not approve of such activities.

I have copied this letter to the Prime Minister, Senator Waters and Senator McAllister.

Yours sincerely

Simon Birmingham

Minister for Finance

24 February 2021