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

At the request of Senator Cameron, I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister for Employment, by no later than 3.30 pm on 27 November 2017, the following documents:

(a) all emails and messages, including text messages and messages sent on any instant messaging service or application, between any employee of the Minister's office and any employee of the Prime Minister's office between 9 am on 23 October 2017 and 30 October 2017 which refer or relate to:

  (i) the Registered Organisations Commission (ROC) investigation into the Australian Workers' Union (AWU), or

  (ii) the execution of a search warrant on AWU premises in relation to the ROC investigation, or

  (iii) media presence at the execution of a search warrant on AWU premises in relation to the ROC investigation, or

  (iv) the allegation that the Minister's office tipped-off the media that the search warrant was to be executed, or

  (v) the decision, on or about 27 October 2017, that the person employed as Fair Work Ombudsman Director of Media would not take up a position in the Minister's office;

(b) all correspondence received by the Minister or her office from the Registered Organisations Commissioner or his office relating to any:

  (i) inquiry, or

  (ii) investigation, or

  (iii) 'Matter under assessment', or

  (iv) the opening of a file,

including, but not limited to, any matter related to any registered organisation or in relation to any police investigation into the possible leak of the raid of the AWU offices;

(c) all correspondence received by the Minister or her office from the Fair Work Commission General Manager or their office relating to any:

  (i) inquiry, or

  (ii) investigation, or

  (iii) 'Matter under assessment'; or

  (iv) the opening of a file,

including, but not limited to, any matter related to any registered organisation; and

(d) phone records, including phone numbers, time and date of call, and duration of call, for each of the following people between 20 October 2017 and 30 October 2017:

  (i) the Minister for Employment,

  (ii) the Minister's Chief of Staff,

  (iii) the Minister's Senior Media Adviser,

  (iv) the Minister's Junior Media Adviser(s), and

  (v) the Minister's Adviser with responsibility for matters relating to the Registered Organisations Commission.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government does not support this motion. It is important that these matters are subject to due process and that the Senate does not attempt to subvert the actions of other independent investigative bodies through conducting its own inquiries.

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 there be laid on the table by the Minister for Employment, by no later than 3.30 pm on 16 November 2017, the following documents:

(a) all emails and messages, including text messages and messages sent on any instant messaging service or application, between the Minister and any staff member employed in her ministerial or electorate office between 9 am on 23 October 2017 and 11 pm on 27 October 2017, which refer or relate to:

  (i) the Registered Organisations Commission (ROC) investigation into the Australian Workers' Union (AWU),

  (ii) the execution of a search warrant on AWU premises in relation to the ROC investigation,

  (iii) media presence at the execution of the search warrant,

  (iv) the allegation and subsequent admission that the Minister's office tipped-off the media that the search warrant was to be executed, and

  (v) the decision that the person employed as Fair Work Ombudsman Director of Media would not take up a position in the Minister's office;

(b) all emails and messages, including text messages and messages sent on any instant messaging service or application, between any employee of the Minister's office and the person employed as Fair Work Ombudsman Director of Media between 9 am on 23 October 2017 and 30 October 2017 which refer or relate to:

  (i) the ROC investigation into the AWU,

  (ii) the execution of a search warrant on AWU premises in relation to the ROC investigation,

  (iii) media presence at the execution a search warrant on AWU premises in relation to the ROC investigation,

  (iv) the allegation that the Minister's office tipped-off the media that the search warrant was to be executed, and

  (v) the decision, on or about 27 October 2017, that the person employed as Fair Work Ombudsman Director of Media would not take up a position in the Minister's office;

(c) all emails and messages, including text messages and messages sent on any instant messaging service or application, between the Minister's Senior Media Advisor and any person other than the Minister or an employee of the Minister, on 24 October 2017, 25 October 2017 and 26 October 2017 which refer or relate to the execution of a warrant obtained by the ROC to search offices of the AWU;

(d) all emails, file notes, memos and forms held by the Minister's office or the Fair Work Ombudsman which relate to:

  (i) the resignation or termination of employment on 26 October 2017 of the person employed on that date as the Minister's Senior Media Advisor,

  (ii) all advertisements, wherever circulated, of job vacancies in the senator's ministerial office between 1 August 2017 and 27 October 2017,

  (iii) any offer of employment in the Minister's office which had been made, prior to 26 October 2017, to the person then employed as the Fair Work Ombudsman Director of Media, and

  (iv) the decision, on or about 27 October 2017, that the person employed as Fair Work Ombudsman Director of Media would not take up a position in the Minister's office; and

(e) any question time briefs, or draft question time briefs created between 20 October 2017 and 26 October 2017 relating to the ROC, the AWU, or the execution of a warrant on the Victorian and National Office of the Australian Workers' Union.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government does not support this motion. It is important that these matters are subject to due process and that the Senate does not attempt to subvert the actions of other independent investigative bodies through conducting its own inquiries.

Question agreed to.