Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) order for the production of documents no. 468 (the order), agreed to by the Senate on 27 February 2024 relating to the final report from the Aged Care Taskforce and the research conducted by Kantar Public has not been complied with, and

(ii) the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care stated that 'response to this request is nil' on the grounds that the final report is 'currently subject to Cabinet consideration' and that the research conducted by Kantar Public was provided to 'assist it provide advice to government';

(b) rejects the grounds on which the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care has provided as to why the order cannot be complied with, noting that:

(i) while disclosure of the deliberations of Cabinet has long been recognised as a potentially acceptable ground for a claim of public interest immunity, neither the Minister for Aged Care nor the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care made a public interest immunity claim outlining why the order cannot be complied with, and

(ii) advice to Government is not an acceptable ground to not provide information, nor is it an acceptable ground for a claim of public interest immunity; and

(c) requires the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care to comply with the order by no later than 3.30 pm on Thursday, 29 February 2024.

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

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

The government will not be supporting this motion. The minister has committed to releasing the report in due course. An order to produce documents in a little over four hours is unreasonable. On that basis, we will be opposing the motion.

Question agreed to.

by leave—The government ask that our names be recorded as opposed.