Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. I refer to the 1 December 2015 written undertaking from the Special Minister of State, Mr Brough, to the Prime Minister pledging to keep him informed of any progress in the Ashby affair. Has the Prime Minister received advice of any progress in the police inquiries into Mr Brough's conduct?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not know. But I would not expect so, because, as I understand it, those inquiries are not complete.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that Senator Brandis take on notice my question and ask the Prime Minister whether Mr Brough has provided any further information, and I also ask, as a supplementary: have Minister Pyne and Assistant Minister Roy similarly agreed to keep the Prime Minister informed of progress of police inquiries related to their conduct in the Ashby affair?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am not aware. As I said in answer to your primary question, inquiries by the police which involve Mr Brough are not complete, so I would not expect that there would have been the kind of development of which you speak.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister tell the Senate why Mr Brough has been stood aside over the Ashby affair but Mr Pyne and Mr Roy have not? Weren't they all in this together? Have they made similar commitments to Mr Brough, now released under freedom of information on 1 December, to provide updates to the Prime Minister? I seek leave to table that document.

Leave not granted.

What are you hiding, George?

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

Order! Leave was not granted.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Collins, to the best of my knowledge, no allegations have been made against Mr Pyne or Mr Roy.