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

On behalf of Senator Watt and Senator Waters I move:

That—

(1) The Senate notes:

(a) the Prime Minister's statement that the Government started working on its proposed Commonwealth Integrity Commission in January 2018 – almost two-and-a-half years ago,

(b) the Attorney-General's statement last September that the Government would release a draft bill to establish a Commonwealth Integrity Commission for public consultation by the end of 2019,

(c) the Attorney-General's failure to meet his own deadline,

(d) the Attorney-General's statement in January 2020 that "[w]ork to deliver the Commonwealth Integrity Commission draft consultation bill is now all but complete",

(e) the Attorney-General's statement in May 2020 that "[t]he draft legislation to establish the Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC) was ready for release to allow for consultations ahead of introduction into parliament before the global economic and health crisis caused by the coronavirus"; and

(f) that despite it being "ready for release" months ago, the Government has not released its draft legislation for public consultation; and

(2) There be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Attorney-General, by no later than 15 June 2020, a copy of the draft legislation to establish a Commonwealth Integrity Commission.

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.

Scott Ryan (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

The government's Commonwealth Integrity Commission, the CIC, is properly designed, having gone through a robust consultation phase and properly funded, with $106.7 million of new money allocated to it in the budget over the forward estimates—nearly double what Labor planned to allocate to it. As a result of COVID-19, the release of the exposure draft CIC legislation has been delayed. Importantly, the government's immediate focus has been to keep Australians safe and provide the support framework needed to help businesses and protect jobs. The exposure draft legislation will be released at an appropriate time after more-immediate priorities concerning the management of COVID-19 recovery have been dealt with.

Question agreed to.