Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the third interim report of the Select Committee on COVID-19. I move:

That the Senate adopt the recommendations contained in the report proposing orders for the production of documents.

Question agreed to.

Accordingly, the following resolutions were adopted—

COVID-19—Select Committee—Third interim report—Answers to questions—Order for production of documents—Attendance by minister

(1) That the Senate notes that the Select Committee on COVID-19 has rejected Senator Cash's public interest immunity claim.

(2) That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, by no later than midday on 2 December 2021, answers that provide the information sought by the questions listed in Table 2.1 at Appendix 2 of the third interim report of the Select Committee on COVID-19.

(3) In the event that the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care fails to table this information:

  (a) the Senate requires the Minister to attend the Senate at the conclusion of question time on 2 December 2021 to provide an explanation, of no more than 10 minutes, of the Minister's failure to table the information;

  (b) at the conclusion of the Minister's explanation, or in the event that the Minister fails to provide an explanation, any senator may move to take note of the explanation or the failure to provide an explanation; and

  (c) any motion under the above paragraph may be debated for no longer than 60 minutes and have precedence over all other business until determined, and senators may speak to the motion for no longer than 10 minutes each.

COVID-19—Select Committee—Third interim report—AstraZeneca vaccine—Order for production of document—Attendance by minister

(1) That the Senate notes that the Select Committee on COVID-19 has rejected the Minister for Health and Aged Care's public interest immunity claim.

(2) That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, by no later than midday on 2 December 2021, details of costs to the Australian Government associated with retooling CSL's domestic facilities for the manufacture of the AstraZeneca vaccine, as requested by Senator Patrick on 28 January 2021 (Committee Hansard, 28 January 2021, p. 28).

(3) In the event that the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care fails to table this document:

  (a) the Senate requires the Minister to attend the Senate at the conclusion of question time on 2 December 2021 to provide an explanation, of no more than 10 minutes, of the Minister's failure to table the document;

  (b) at the conclusion of the Minister's explanation, or in the event that the Minister fails to provide an explanation, any senator may move to take note of the explanation or the failure to provide an explanation; and

  (c) any motion under the above paragraph may be debated for no longer than 60 minutes and have precedence over all other business until determined, and senators may speak to the motion for no longer than 10 minutes each.

COVID-19—Select Committee—Third interim report—National Cabinet briefing—Order for production of documents—Attendance by minister

(1) That the Senate notes that the Select Committee on COVID-19 has rejected the Minister for Health and Aged Care's public interest immunity claim.

(2) That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, by no later than midday on 2 December 2021, documents used in the briefing on 19 April 2021 provided by Dr Brendan Murphy, Secretary, and Ms Caroline Edwards PSM, Associate Secretary of the Department of Health, to National Cabinet on domestic and international vaccine supply and changes to the Australian vaccination strategy.

(3) In the event that the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care fails to table the documents:

  (a) the Senate requires the Minister to attend the Senate at the conclusion of question time on 2 December 2021 to provide an explanation, of no more than 10 minutes, of the Minister's failure to table the documents;

  (b) at the conclusion of the Minister's explanation, or in the event that the Minister fails to provide an explanation, any senator may move to take note of the explanation or the failure to provide an explanation; and

  (c) any motion under the above paragraph may be debated for no longer than 60 minutes and have precedence over all other business until determined, and senators may speak to the motion for no longer than 10 minutes each.

I move:

That the Senate take note of the report.

I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.