Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

ASKEW (—) (): At the request of Senator Bragg, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) order for the production of documents no. 350, agreed to on 17 October 2023, relating to communications between CBUS Super Fund and the Treasurer and his office since 21 May 2022, was not complied with,

(ii) on 7 November 2023, in response to the order, the Treasurer made a public interest immunity claim on the basis that the documents sought are commercial-in-confidence, and

(iii) on 5 September 2024, documents that were the subject of the order were provided following a freedom of information (FOI) request, Treasury reference no. 3331, after the Information Commissioner found against the Treasurer in an appeal and required the documents be disclosed; and

(b) requires the Minister representing the Treasurer to attend the Senate on Wednesday, 11 September 2024, at the conclusion of consideration of private senators' bills and immediately prior to government business being called on, to provide an explanation, of no more than 5 minutes, of the failure to comply with the order, the misuse of a public interest immunity claim, and how documents obtained under FOI could not be obtained by the Senate, and that:

(i) any senator may move to take note of the explanation, and

(ii) any such motion may be debated for no longer than 60 minutes, shall have precedence over all business until determined, and senators may speak to the motion for not more than 5 minutes each.