Fraser Anning (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 1224 standing in my name for today, relating to the submission to the banking royal commission.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate requests the Financial Services Royal Commission to seek consent from each of the 10,000 people who have made submissions, and then where consent is granted, publish consented submissions on a public website (with the usual privacy considerations). This is so the public will be able to check that the Royal Commission's report in February 2019 will have dealt with all the issues raised by the public.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry is independent of the government, and the commissioner alone determines how the commission will operate, including what documents it will publish. As the commissioner has repeatedly stated, each and every submission received by the commission has been read and taken into consideration by the commission in its work. The government has full confidence in the commissioner's statements. The commission has received close to 2,000 submissions in response to its interim report and its hearings into superannuation and insurance which were not covered by the interim report. The vast majority of these submissions have been published by the commission, including a large number of submissions from individuals. Submissions have not been published where people submitting the information have requested confidentiality or in other instances such as where they relate to individual disputes which give rise to confidentiality issues and other similar considerations.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the amended motion moved by Senator Anning be agreed to.

The Senate divided. [15:57]

(The Deputy President—Senator Lines)