Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend business of the Senate notice of motion No. 2 relating to a reference to the Senate Standing Committee on Procedure. The amendment changes the return date from 1 February 2023 to 31 March 2023.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the following matter be referred to the Procedure Committee for inquiry and report by 31 March 2023:

(1) The appropriate terms to establish a procedure in the standing orders through which:

(a) senators can confidentially and privately review documents subject to an order for production that a Minister believes would be against the public interest to table; and

(b) after the documents have been made available for review, the Senate can reject a Minister's public interest claim against disclosure and order the tabling of the documents.

(2) Whether the procedure in paragraph (1) is appropriate having regard to the balance between the Senate's constitutional power as the house of review, the necessity of senators to be properly informed of sensitive issues to make informed decisions and the protection of the public interest from public disclosure of sensitive information.