Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Attorney-General. Minister, the disability royal commission has been running since September of 2019 and many people and organisations have made submissions and shared their stories. However, there are a large group of disabled people who have not and cannot because the commission cannot currently guarantee their protection and confidentiality beyond the life of the commission. One person in particular springs to mind, a woman who is right at the beginning of her educational career and has suffered discrimination in that career, including in the school where she now works. She tells me that she will not tell her story until she can be assured that it won't in itself end her career. Will the Attorney-General apologise to people who have not been able to tell their stories because of his failure to act and do what he has been promising to do, which is introduce these protections to parliament which he has known about the need for since February of this year?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Steele-John for his question. Senator, I will take the issues that you have raised on notice to the Attorney-General and seek advice from him in response to those.

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

Senator Steele-John, a supplementary question?

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Disabled people, our families and our organisations have been urging the government to introduce privacy protections to guarantee safety and confidentiality of submissions. The issue was flagged last November by the chair of the commission and in February he wrote formally to the government. After months of advocacy, it is believed that the government is intending to introduce legislation on this during the next sitting week of parliament. Can the Attorney-General confirm the intention to introduce this legislation in the next sitting week?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I advised Senator Steele-John earlier, I don't have this detailed information with me. I will most certainly take it on notice and return to the chamber as soon as possible with that advice.

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

Senator Steele-John, a final supplementary question?

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On page 37 of the royal commission's second progress report, the chair noted that the limitations of confidentiality are impeding people's willingness to give evidence and therefore affecting the scope of the commission's work. We are now a year into a process that was meant to take three years in total and the issue has not been resolved. Does the Attorney-General acknowledge that his failure to act has served as an impediment to disabled people telling our stories to our commission?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Steele-John for the further supplementary question. As I understand it, the Attorney-General is considering matters relating to confidentiality protections. Certainly any information provided to the royal commission is protected while the inquiry continues. But, as I said, Senator Steele-John—and I apologise that I don't have the detail on your specific questions with me here in the chamber today—I will take it on notice and I will return to the chamber as soon as possible with that advice for you.