Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Emissions Reduction, Senator Birmingham. I refer to the investigation being conducted by the special strike force, Strike Force Garrad, established by the New South Wales police State Crime Command's Financial Crimes Squad into possible criminal behaviour by Minister Taylor. Yesterday Minister Birmingham told the ABC that 'the government will give full cooperation to their investigation'. Will Minister Taylor commit to being interviewed by Strike Force Garrad, established by the New South Wales police State Crime Command's Financial Crimes Squad?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, Minister Taylor has made clear that he will give cooperation to any investigation. Secondly, I would note that the New South Wales police commissioner, in comments he has made to the media today, has made clear that in responding to the letter from the shadow Attorney-General—which Senator Cormann rightly characterised as being very much a politically driven effort by the Labor opposition—the first threshold that the New South Wales police will undertake is considering the complex legal questions as to whether there is even a matter of law to be assessed there. So the nature of the question, which jumps to assertions of whether or not interviews or the like will be required, may not ever come to fruition. The Labor Party, who asked for this investigation—you asked for this investigation—ought not seek to compromise the investigation by now politicising it. The New South Wales police commissioner has clearly outlined the steps that he will go through and that his officers will go through, and Minister Taylor has made clear that he will cooperate should that be required.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chisholm, a supplementary question?

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian Federal Police confirmed in estimates that Ministers Cash and Keenan both refused to be interviewed and failed to provide witness statements as part of investigations into the leaking of material relating to AFP raids on union offices. Is this the kind of cooperation Minister Taylor will be giving to the special crimes strike force, Strike Force Garrad, established by the New South Wales police State Crime Command's Financial Crimes Squad?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are a bunch of statements in that question that are erroneous in terms of the way in which they seek to verbal the Australian Federal Police and information that they have given in previous evidence to Senate estimates inquiries and other parliamentary processes. There's also an assertion being made by the senator that is getting way ahead of where any matter may be or may ever go to. Indeed, the senator ought to reflect on whether his questioning is helpful for getting the answer that the opposition claimed they wanted when they addressed this matter in the first place to the New South Wales police. Those opposite, if they want to get an honest answer from the New South Wales police, ought to avoid compromising the investigation by continuing to throw assertions around or make assumptions about how the investigation will proceed when in fact it may never get to the point of such— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chisholm, a final supplementary question?

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given Prime Minister Morrison's complete disregard for accountability for his own ministerial standards and this government's history of showing a complete disregard for police investigations into the possible criminal behaviour of their ministers, what confidence can Australians possibly have that Minister Taylor will give full cooperation to the investigation into his possible criminal behaviour?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think each and every member of the government would take extreme offence at an assertion that talks about the criminal behaviour of their ministers, a slur across the board. The opposition, and Mr Dreyfus in particular, have a track record of throwing mud, of throwing allegations and of writing letters off to police and to others. And what have all of those letters delivered so far? What have all those allegations amounted to? Naught, zip, zero, zilch—nothing at all in terms of all of Mr Dreyfus's approaches over the years. He writes off these letters. He's like a vexatious litigant who keeps going on and on and on making the claims, and nothing comes to fruition as a result of it.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.