Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 327 standing in my name for today relating to an order for the production of documents, by omitting 'Mr' and substituting 'Dr'.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended

That there be laid on the table by the Minister for Defence, no later than 4 pm on Thursday, 10 July 2014:

(a) the report of the review of the Air Warfare Destroyer project conducted by Professor Don Winter and Dr John White; and

(b) a statement of reasons as to why any information is commercial in confidence and the possible harm it might cause and where that information has been redacted from the report.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government do not support the motion moved by Senator Xenophon. We cannot comply with this request to produce the document as the document in question is subject to public interest immunity. The report prepared by Don Winter and John White on the performance of the Hobart class air warfare destroyer program was commissioned by cabinet and played an important role in cabinet deliberations. Tabling this document would make many of the cabinet's deliberations, on the basis of cabinet's decisions, publicly available. Release of the mentioned report could also damage the commercial interests of the Commonwealth, as it relates to a range of sensitive commercial negotiations underway. We acknowledge that the senator makes mention of the commercial implications of this motion in the second paragraph of this motion; however, the entire report is considered deeply sensitive to commercial interests, current and possible future tenders. Already publicly available is the summary document of the report, which does not disclose sensitive cabinet deliberations or commercially sensitive information.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a brief statement of no more than one minute.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This motion is very important. The Australian naval shipbuilding industry is on the precipice at the moment. It is facing the valley of death. This report has been relied on by the government to make a number of decisions and we have not seen the reasons for that. Hiding behind public interest immunity, hiding behind confidentiality, is not adequate. There is going to be a Senate inquiry into the naval shipbuilding industry, but I urge senators to support this order for the production of documents because the Minister for Defence has been relying on this document yet we are in the dark as to what it means for Australian shipbuilding. Not to release this document would have very severe implications for the future of Australian shipbuilding.

Question agreed to.