Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Prime Minister and Leader of the Government in the Senate, by 31 July 2019, the following documents:

(a) any 'constituent' correspondence or other document sent to the Member for Hume, Mr Taylor, requesting action in relation to the listing of Natural Temperate Grassland of the South Eastern Highlands ecological community, as referred to by Senator Patrick in the Senate on 25 July 2019;

(b) any correspondence between the Federal Government and Senator Patrick in relation to any proposed inquiry into the actions of Mr Taylor and Mr Frydenberg.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) 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.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Taylor has comprehensively dealt with this matter in the other place, earlier today, including by tabling relevant documents. The government would caution this chamber against setting a precedent where an order to produce be used for the production of constituent correspondence to a member or a senator.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) 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.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take the senator's contribution that Minister Taylor has tabled relevant documents. If that's the case, then there's a three-year-old letter that he's relying on as the basis for his meeting three years later, and there's a letter that was sent six months after the meeting in question. If they are the only relevant documents, then I'm afraid Minister Taylor has really shot himself in the foot by demonstrating that, in fact, there was no constituent correspondence to justify him meeting with then environment Minister Frydenberg, apparently on the basis of constituent concern.

I would hope that there was further constituent correspondence, which is exactly why we've moved this order for production of documents. We want to see this so-called correspondence. If it really is only a letter that was sent to him three years prior and a letter that was sent to him six months after, then what a coincidence that a day after he was sued for breaching environmental laws he sought a meeting as a cabinet minister with his fellow cabinet minister. I urge the chamber to support this OPD.

Question agreed to.