Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

Yes! I'll take that interjection from my good colleague from South Australia, Senator Ruston. The Senate performs an incredible accountability mechanism on executive government. It doesn't matter whether you're in the opposition, in the government itself or on the crossbench: the processes, procedures and conduct of this chamber are critical for Australians to have confidence in the operation of the executive part of government. On 25 October, our Senate voted and required the minister to table the documents regarding a project in the Hahndorf township. That was 3½ months ago. The minister responsible, Minister King, claimed public interest immunity on the basis that releasing the documents would damage relationships between the Commonwealth and the states.

Again, on 23 November, the Senate rejected that public interest immunity. It wasn't the opposition; it was the Senate chamber rejecting that. On 28 November, Minister King once again claimed public interest immunity on the same grounds. This response by the minister representing Minister King is an insult to the Senate.

I would also like to say thank you to those senators who joined with the opposition in the interests of accountability and transparency. We don't always agree on public policy, but we do agree on public accountability. I can understand a minister from the other place, such as Minister King, may not fully appreciate the important role of the Senate, but the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Senator Watt, does, or should, understand the importance of the Senate. The response he has given on behalf of Catherine King here today is an insult to the Senate and to our form of government.

It's absolutely embarrassing that Minister Watt had to come in and claim public interest immunity because somehow the relationship between the Albanese Labor government and the Malinauskas Labor government would be damaged if Minister King had to comply with the order of the Senate about the delays to a critical road project in South Australia. What is there to hide? Everyone knows the Hahndorf project has been delayed and that the funding has been cut by $45.5 million over the forward estimates. That was all public in the October budget. It's been asked about in Senate estimates. It's a public fact. The release of the documents between the Commonwealth and state government relating to this project is not going to change those known facts, but it may provide further clarity to the community that's been impacted by the funding delays and answer questions around what challenges exist in delivering the project.

Minister Watt should be ashamed to stand in this place and admit that he can't convince Minister King to make these documents available to the Senate and to actually respect the will of the Senate—not the opposition, not the shadow minister, but the Senate in and of itself. He should exercise that seniority by expressing in no uncertain terms to the minister how important it is to our democracy more broadly that the minister for infrastructure comply with these orders of the Senate. The Senate has not made this decision once or twice; this is now three times. It is just blatant disregard.

This is how they're going about their promise of transparency and accountability. Every single place you turn, these guys do not want to be upfront and accountable to the Australian public. They attempted to cut a week of estimates in this chamber, and next week we will be able to exercise oversight on behalf of Australian taxpayers. They also withheld the release of budget tables for infrastructure projects. They refused to take ownership of funding cuts and delays on road projects, road safety funding and regional economic development programs, and they have failed to deliver answers to Senate estimates questions on notice in a timely manner.

In my own area of responsibility, there are still 34 questions tabled in the October-November estimates which have not been answered. That was 3½ months ago. I've been there. I know where the answers to the questions are because the Australian Public Service in the Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development will have drafted the answers in a timely manner and will have shot them up to the minister's office for them to okay them. Do you know where those 34 answers will be? Sitting on the minister's desk, with her refusing to release them publicly because she knows the truth will damage the reputation of the Albanese government.

The former coalition government committed to deliver the Hahndorf township improvement and access upgrade project in partnership with the South Australian government. It's a $250 million project of which the Commonwealth would contribute 80 per cent of the funding. That's $200 million. It is critical to safety and the efficient movement of product.

I visited the township of Hahndorf recently, with my assistant shadow minister, Tony Pasin, and saw for myself one of the most iconic villages in South Australia, from a tourism perspective, with B-doubles driving through the main street, turning dangerously in corners where families were crossing the street. International visitors and fabulous products from Riverland, from right around South Australia's regions and even from, in my home state, the Mallee come through there. This is a much-needed project because someone is going to get hurt if it is not built.

There's one long road through that busy Hahndorf village, with a single lane each way, and the car parks are also always utilised. This project is long overdue, and it was meant to be completed in 2025-26. So, fair enough, Labor governments have decided they'll kick this one into the long grass, but public interest immunity is an important aspect of our democracy. I want to quote to the chamber what Senator Gallagher said on 2 December 2021 about the process that governments should adopt in complying with Senate determinations around public interest immunity. Senator Gallagher said:

The Senate passes it, and then requires the documents to be provided or the minister to come and make a statement. The documents are not provided. And then the minister comes and makes a statement, which is basically to say what they said originally to the question on notice!

She then said:

The thing is: when you are in opposition and you are trying to do this, we will remind you of this …

'We'll remind you of the proper process that should be done by ministers in complying with orders of the Senate.' Well, you've had multiple opportunities on this particular topic, and you have failed at every juncture.

I will quote Senator Gallagher again, from 17 March 2021, that this is a 'lazy approach' by the Labor Party and a 'misuse of the public interest immunity claims process'. I agree, Senator Gallagher. I agree with Minister Watt's absolutely pathetic attempt here today to provide transparency around this project.