Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Evans, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. I refer the minister to his government's caucus committee support and training unit, which has produced a manual called, 'Shadow watch: every flower must grow through dirt', which advises ministerial staffers how to secretly monitor shadow ministers, sift through their financial interest statements and neutralise opponents using various techniques. It ends with the maxim: one can bury a lot of one's own troubles by digging in the dirt. I appreciate that you have a lot of troubles to dig through, Minister. Why is the government turning to dirt digging and playing dirty tricks?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Ryan for that question. I think I read this in the papers about three weeks ago, and I, like you, was intrigued. I thought: why wasn't I told? Why didn't I receive these instructions? I actually had to work out what the unit's initials stood for as well. I saw those reports and I cannot confirm them. I certainly did not receive any such—

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can you deny them?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have not been able to confirm that. I know I did not receive them. Can I just say that we do need a spy unit on certain shadow ministers. I could not work out who my opposition was on vocational education and training affairs, because I have never heard from them or seen a press release from them. Vocational education and training seems to be of no interest to you. Although I know Senator Mason represents on university education; he is very active.

I have sent my spies out; they are on the trail. They were trying to work out who the shadow minister was for training and vocational education, because we wanted to brief them on a bill. So I sent out a secret team of advisers from my office to work out who the shadow spokesperson is. If you can help me at all, Senator Ryan, with that matter, I would very much appreciate it.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister confirm a report in the Australian of 9 March 2011—given that you are so familiar with newspapers—that the caucus committee support and training unit was to form part of a new strategy unit in or answerable to the Prime Minister's office? If not, will the minister undertake to find out and come back to the Senate this afternoon? For that matter, can you maybe find out what you are alleging you have not been told about the other activities of the unit?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, like Senator Ryan, did my research by reading the Australian newspaper; that is where I found out about this. As I have indicated, I do not really know much more. But I can say that the caucus support unit is capable of having its affairs examined through the estimates process. You refer to a newspaper report on 9 March; I assume you used your capacities as a senator to pursue your questions at estimates hearings, where you could have sought information about their operations. I do not know whether you are saying to me that you did not bother or that it was not that important. It sounds like you may have forgotten or it was not important enough to ask about between 9 March and now. Are you telling me that you failed to bother to use your opportunity at estimates to ask those questions? If you did not bother to ask at estimates, I am happy to see what I can find out for you, Senator.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Fair Competition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I look forward to the question time where you decide what questions can be asked, Senator Evans. Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is it a fact that in 2007 the yet-to-be Prime Minister, Ms Gillard, wrote an article for the SundayAge subtitled, 'You can't stop politicians digging up salacious stories, but the public should not have to pay for it'? In Rudd-like fashion, she asked herself the question, 'should the public be footing the bill?' and she explicitly said no. Isn't this just another broken promise of the same ilk as her promise that there will be no carbon tax under the government she led?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is only Wednesday but already the tactics committee has given up. Someone at the tactics committee this morning said: 'We are short of questions—but there was that newspaper report three months ago. Let's ask about that. Let's get with the game.'

This government has been more open than any earlier governments. FOI legislation has opened up a whole range of opportunities for public accountability. In between this press report and today's question, Senate estimates met for two weeks of hearings, two weeks during which Senator Ryan and his colleagues, if they were really interested, could have gone up hill and down dale with questions about the caucus support unit. I welcome you taking up that opportunity, Senator Ryan; you would be doing your job if you did. But you are more interested in your own internal party politics. Accountability is available. A range of mechanisms are available. But, if there is anything I can help the senator with, I will take it on notice and get back to him.