Judith Troeth (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pursuant to the resolution of the Senate of 6 September 1984 relating to the disclosure of joint committee documents, I present a report on access to documents of the Joint Committee on Social Security: Release of records of Joint Committee––Report to the Senate.

For the information of honourable senators, I advise the Senate that on 26 October 2009 the Presiding Officers granted access to the transcripts of evidence of the Joint Committee on Social Security, 1941-46. The transcripts did not appear to be in camera or include material which was supplied to the committee on a confidential basis. The evidence will be released to Dr Anne O’Brien, Associate Professor of History at the University of New South Wales, to support her research into religion and welfare funded by the Australian Research Council.

The Presiding Officers have authorised access to these transcripts on three previous occasions. Therefore, the Presiding Officers have also given authorisation for the transcripts to be opened for public access by the National Archives of Australia to facilitate the work of future researchers.