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

ASIC's engagement with the committee thus far has confirmed all fears about the culture inherent in ASIC. As I was saying about Minister King and other ministers in the government, Treasurer Chalmers refused to comply with the order for the production of documents relating to the deputy chair investigation. So, Madam President, it's not just Minister King; it's not just ASIC as an agency; it's our own Treasurer of the country who's treating this chamber and the committees of this chamber with contempt. Similarly, ASIC has shown contempt for the committee process through its illegitimate use of the public interest immunity claim.

I think that ministers need to be respectful of this chamber. It's uncomfortable sometimes, but it is a great privilege to serve, and our democracy is better for the transparency that this chamber alone and uniquely can apply. So I commend the Economics References Committee for the work that they are doing to ensure that ASIC does its job in terms of giving assurance, to consumers and to small businesses alike, that misconduct will be investigated appropriately and publicly, and I call on ASIC—and, indeed, I call on the minister responsible for ASIC to encourage them, if she can't direct them—to actually comply with the orders of this chamber, the Senate, and of the committee that is simply seeking to do the work of the Australian people.