Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

The short answer, Senator Pocock, is no. I will outline at this moment the government's position on this amendment: we won't be supporting the amendment. The reality is that the National Anti-Corruption Commission does have the discretion to hold public hearings under the existing law. The commissioner can hold the hearing or part of a hearing in public if satisfied that it is in the public interest and exceptional circumstances justify doing so. The commissioner may consider a number of factors outlined before deciding to hold a public hearing, including the seriousness or systemic nature of the corrupt conduct and any unfair prejudice to a person's reputation, privacy, safety or wellbeing that would likely be caused if the hearings were held in public. Also, they can consider the benefits of exposing corrupt conduct to the public and making the public aware of corrupt conduct. From the government's point of view, this provides an appropriate balance between the benefits of public hearings and the potential for prejudice to subsequent criminal prosecutions, reputations, safety, privacy, wellbeing or confidentiality.