Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. Minister, documents tabled in the Federal Court and reported by The Australian detail the extraordinary lengths activists at the job-destroying EDO went to in their attempt to block the Barossa Gas Project, including reinventing and relocating traditional culture. Minister, is funding the EDO not the government supporting the EDO's exploitation of Aboriginal people and our culture?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would refer you to the answer I gave your two other colleagues who asked questions about this. I don't believe, if you read Judge Charlesworth's comments, that one could be anything other than deeply shocked by some of what has occurred. I would say to you that I have faith in our legal process to ensure that the sorts of actions that have taken place are dealt with appropriately, including through the legal process such as the costs order which I referred to in answer to Senator Duniam. So I think the comments speak for themselves.

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

Senator Nampijinpa Price, first supplementary?

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, the documents tabled in court connect the job-destroying EDO with consultant Antonia Burke, who in turn admitted to assisting Senator Dorinda Cox with drafting legislation. Is the government content with the taxpayer funded EDO exploiting traditional owners? Is it also content with the EDO supporting partisan politicians?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't know whether you had the courtesy to let Senator Cox know you were going to ask a question about her. I would say to you that, in general, I don't have a view. We use this place to deal with those sorts of issues. If there is an issue where there is any suggestion that behaviour was not consistent with the terms of the funding arrangements then that relevantly is a matter for the Commonwealth.

What I would say to you is I'm sure the minister will consider the funding agreement and consider whether the assertion you have made is within that funding agreement. I understand the minister did ask the department to review the funding agreement after some previous allegations, and I also understand the funding agreement was amended, as Senator McAllister has indicated in estimates.

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

Senator Nampijinpa Price, second supplementary?

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, will the government continue to give the job-destroying EDO taxpayer money even if it is ordered to pay Santos's legal fees?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer you to my earlier answers, but what I would say is that I went through earlier some of the clauses which had been inserted into the contract after some issues had been raised previously. The first one was that the grantee must ensure that personal working and legal practitioners comply with all applicable state and territory laws governing the legal profession and hold a current practicing certificate. The second amendment was that the grantee must notify the Commonwealth immediately on becoming aware of any disciplinary proceedings or orders made by a law society or of any adverse comment or finding in a decision made by a court regarding the conduct and performance of the grantee.