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

We traversed the issues that Senator Shoebridge has just asked about extensively in the original debate for the NACC; I don't intend to go over that again. I understand Senator Shoebridge wants to use the chamber to get up and deliver Greens political party talking points, and he's got a right to do that. I understand it suits the Greens political party's political agenda to suggest the NACC is ineffective. The reality, though, is that, according to the most recent statistics from the NACC, as of 9 October this year they were conducting 31 preliminary investigations and 29 corruption investigations, including six joint investigations, they were overseeing or monitoring 19 investigations by other agencies, they had six matters before the courts and they had 465 referrals pending assessments. So, unfortunately for Senator Shoebridge and the Greens political party, the facts don't bear out what they're saying. The NACC is actively investigating a broad range of potential corruption and misconduct activities, as it should.