Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 1:24:32 to 1:31:47
Senator Henderson questions the department on which world leaders were invited to the pre-COP conference, while the Secretary explains the role of PM&C in issuing invitations.
Topics: Climate change, Diplomatic events
Speakers: Hon Sarah Henderson, Mr Mike Kaiser, Varun Ghosh, Unknown Speaker
thank you all. I welcome uh Senator Tim uh the Minister for Industry representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Um we are currently in corporate matters of the department and I will return the call to Senator Henderson.
>> Uh thank you very much chair. Look I just wanted to continue asking about uh which world leaders were invited. I I am Mr. Because given the department was running this show, I am very surprised that you have no knowledge of the world leaders who were invited. It's a very significant matter uh in invitations to world leaders uh is something that I would have thought that you as secretary would be across. Is is is there any explan exclamation you can provide explanation I should say because it just seems improbable that you
Senator I think it's improbable that a line agency would involve itself in the invitation of world leaders to an event like this um that's the job of the prime minister the department of prime minister and cabinet so that the invitations can be issued leader to leader we've had a bit of a look within the department for any documents that you know constitute a list of world leaders that were invited. In the time available to us so far, we haven't been able to find one. But that doesn't surprise me. You wouldn't expect us as a line agency to have a direct role in
that. Uh >> well, you're more than a line agency. You're responsible for this conference. I mean, I look at the world leaders who attended the G20 in Australia when Tony Abbott was prime minister. world leaders of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the like. Um, surely you would be across whether world leaders which world leaders were invited because you would have to plan
>> Well, I think what we need to plan for is are those who accepted the invitation. We would certainly need to plan that once we knew which leaders and indeed which delegations, whether they're energy and climate ministers or whether they're just delegates from other countries, we would need to ensure their accommodation, their security, their transportation arrangements, >> which is what we did. But the invitation is a different matter. Of course, once accommodate them.
>> No, I understand you didn't issue the invitations, but was your department involved in the invitation process at