Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications, representing the Minister for Sport, Senator Fifield. I refer to the government's decision to give $30 million to Foxtel. Whose decision was that? Was it the minister's, the Treasurer's, the finance minister's, the Prime Minister's or someone else's?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was a decision of the government in the context of the budget.

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

Senator Farrell, a supplementary question.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister confirmed that, in response to an FOI, his department discovered no documents of discussions between the department and Foxtel about the government's plan to give Foxtel $30 million. If the decision was made in the budget context, as you just said, how is it that there were no documents?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I endeavoured to answer this question when Senator Farrell last asked me but was howled down. I will endeavour to answer it again. The FOI request from the ABC Mornings program related to pre-budget correspondence between the government and the stakeholder in question. Obviously, in the decision-making processes of the cabinet and the ERC in the context of a budget, there are documents which are prepared.

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

Senator Farrell, a final supplementary question.

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When was the minister or his department first aware of the decision to provide the $30 million payment to Foxtel?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I and the government were aware of the decision once it was taken.