Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Conroy, I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 1026 standing in his name for today, concerning an order for the production of documents relating to the communications campaign funded from within the Infrastructure Investment Program.

Leave granted.

I amend the motion by omitting '3.30 pm on Tuesday, 1 March 2016' and substituting '3.30 pm on Tuesday, 15 March 2016'. I move the motion as amended:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, no later than 3.30 pm on Tuesday, 15 March 2016, the following documents in respect of the $18 million ‘communications campaign’ funded from within the Infrastructure Investment program, as referred to in the 2015-16 Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) released in December 2015:

(a) all correspondence, including emails and attachments, between officials of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development and any of the following ministers and/or staff in their offices:

  (i) the Prime Minister,

  (ii) the former Prime Minister (Mr Abbott),

  (iii) the Minister for Regional Development,

  (iv) the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport,

  (v) the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development (Mr Truss),

  (vi) the Treasurer,

  (vii) the former Treasurer (Mr Hockey),

  (viii) the Minister for Finance,

  (ix) the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science and Leader of the House, and

  (x) the former Minister for Education and Training and Leader of the House (Mr Pyne);

(b) all correspondence, including emails and attachments, addressed to or from the Service Delivery and Coordination Committee;

(c) documents showing how the campaign will be funded;

(d) all documents held by the General Manager, Communications and Parliamentary, Corporate Services Division in the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development or her direct reports;

(e) all correspondence, including emails and attachments, between officials of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development and external parties, including but not limited to Mitchell & Partners Australia Pty Ltd and the Wallis Consulting Group, dated 1 January 2015 or after; and

(f) any other documents held by officials of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development which refer to the infrastructure ‘communications campaign’ mentioned in the MYEFO.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party) 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.

Scott Ryan (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The advertising campaign for the Infrastructure Investment Program will increase knowledge amongst Australian road users of the need for investment in transport infrastructure. Research undertaken by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development shows that 85 per cent of people want to receive information about the Australian government's investment in this area. The campaign will go through the proper channels before rollout and is subject to the government's guidelines and independent scrutiny by the Independent Communications Committee. Government advertising expenditure has been lower since the coalition was elected in 2013, and I note that during the 2013 campaign the previous government ordered the Department of Finance and Deregulation to run an advertising campaign, contrary to longstanding caretaker conventions.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 1026 be agreed to.