Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Birmingham, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. Last week, former New South Wales Auditor-General Tony Harris told the sports rorts Senate inquiry:

If the minister fell on the basis of the government's failure to administer this program properly then the Prime Minister's involvement would mean that the Prime Minister and/or his office were involved in a maladministration, at least.

Why did the sports rorts scandal cost Senator McKenzie her job, but the Prime Minister and other senior ministers kept theirs?

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

I think all of those issues were addressed at the time by the Prime Minister and, indeed, by my predecessor in this place.

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

Senator Farrell, a supplementary question?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I do have a supplementary question, thank you. Mr Harris told the inquiry:

There appears to be, by design not by accident, a drift towards reducing the scrutiny of government … I think it's a pattern of behaviour that constitutes a goal.

Why is the Prime Minister reducing scrutiny across government by cutting funding to the National Audit Office?

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

I have a sense of deja vu. It's only my second day on the job here, but I have a sense that I was asked this question yesterday and that I answered this question yesterday in pointing out that funding for the Australian National Audit Office keeps going up each and every year. Congratulations to those opposite—at estimates, they managed to flesh out that a government agency had asked for more money in the budget process and hadn't got everything that it asked for. But don't go around pretending that, somehow, increasing funding each and every year into the forward estimates is by any means a cut. It's not. It's more money. It enables them to continue to do their job.

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

Senator Farrell, a final supplementary question?

Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I do have one. Mr Harris continued to tell the inquiry that the sports rorts scandal was 'a very significant indicator that things are very poor in the state of government' and would be dealt with by an effective anticorruption commission. Why is the government deliberately dragging its feet on a national integrity commission that could investigate the misuse of taxpayers' money through scandals like sports rorts and airports rorts?

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

Indeed, my colleague Senator Payne just detailed to Senator Lambie the work that is being undertaken to establish a Commonwealth integrity commission, and the draft legislation was released for public consultation on 2 November 2020. I look forward to Senator Farrell no doubt being an active participant in that public consultation process. I'm sure Senator Farrell will make a detailed, thoughtful contribution to that process. The government has gone out for consultation because we recognise consultation on such a process is critical. Senator Farrell, you have until 12 February 2021 to make your thoughtful, detailed contribution and submission to this process, and the government will then work through the next appropriate stages in terms of how it is that we deliver an appropriate Commonwealth integrity commission that builds upon the many avenues of scrutiny that already exist across government and the Public Service. This is not about starting from scratch; it's about recognising that there are a range of different scrutiny agencies already in place and building on them. (Time expired)