Ruth Webber (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Committee of Senators’ Interests, I table explanatory notes for statements of registrable interests as most recently amended by the Committee of Senators’ Interests, and I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

The document I have just tabled is intended to provide guidance to all senators in completing their statements of registrable interests. It is an evolving document which has been carefully considered by the Committee of Senators’ Interests since its establishment in 1994 and is added to or revised as circumstances require. This latest edition contains new guidance on the requirement for certain gifts over the specified threshold values, from official or unofficial sources, to be registered. The notes now state:

The source of any gift should be identified by name.

Last September, I advised the Senate that the Committee of Senators’ Interests intended to look further at the definition of registrable gifts under the resolutions and whether it struck the appropriate balance between senators’ private interests and their public duties. This undertaking arose from the committee’s consideration of a particular case that had been raised with it last year.

The committee concluded that the definition itself should stand in its current form and not depart from the principles based formulation of all other categories of registrable interests defined in the resolution. As has been stated many times, final decisions on the appropriate interpretation of the resolution are the responsibility of individual senators. Senators are responsible for making their own judgements about whether a conflict of interest exists or may appear to exist. However, the committee did agree that the explanatory notes should make explicit what was already implicit in the terms of the resolution—namely, that the source of any gifts above the reporting thresholds should be identified by name. The Registrar of Senators’ Interests will be writing to all senators to inform them of the change, and the amended explanatory notes have been posted on the committee’s website.

Question agreed to.