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

I move:

(1) That estimates hearings by legislation committees for 2015 be scheduled as follows:

2014-15 additional estimates:

Monday, 23 February and Tuesday, 24 February (Group A)

Wednesday, 25 February and Thursday, 26 February (Group B).

2015-16 Budget estimates:

Monday, 25 May to Thursday, 28 May, and, if required, Friday, 29 May (Group A)

Monday, 1 June to Thursday, 4 June, and, if required, Friday, 5 June (Group B)

Monday, 19 October and Tuesday, 20 October (supplementary hearings—Group A)

Wednesday, 21 October and Thursday, 22 October (supplementary hearings—Group B).

(2) That pursuant to the order of the Senate of 26 August 2008, cross portfolio estimates hearings on Indigenous matters be scheduled for Friday, 27 February, Friday, 29 May and Friday, 23 October.

(3) That the committees consider the proposed expenditure in accordance with the allocation of departments and agencies to committees agreed to by the Senate.

(4) That committees meet in the following groups:

Group A:

Environment and Communications

Finance and Public Administration

Legal and Constitutional Affairs

Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport

Group B:

Community Affairs

Economics

Education and Employment

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.

(5) That the committees report to the Senate on the following dates:

(a) Tuesday, 17 March 2015 in respect of the 2014-15 additional estimates; and

(b) Tuesday, 23 June 2015 in respect of the 2015-16 Budget estimates.

Question agreed to.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Cameron, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the Director of Fair Work Building and Construction has failed to provide information in his responses to Supplementary Budget Estimates 2014-15 questions on notice and has not made a claim of public interest immunity; and

(b) orders that there be laid on the table by the Minister for Employment, by the end of question time on Thursday, 12 February 2015, a copy of complete answers to Supplementary Budget Estimates 2014-15 question on notice EM1529 15, EM1521 15 and EM1555 1.

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.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-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 opposes this motion. The questions on notice contained in this motion actually refer to correspondence between a Commonwealth agency and Victoria Police about an active police investigation. The response that was provided was that providing copies of correspondence between FWBC and police agencies may prejudice ongoing working relationships with police agencies throughout Australia. This is a fair and reasonable explanation and is similar to responses provided by the opposition while it was in government in relation to ongoing police investigations. While the opposition may want to undermine working relationships with Commonwealth agencies and police so that they can provide sensitive police intelligence to certain unions, the government does not support such an action.