Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 1:31:47 to 1:39:42
Officials from DCCEEW discuss their level of awareness regarding the invitation list for world leaders and the logistical implications of potential high-level attendance.
Topics: Climate change, Diplomatic events
Speakers: Hon Sarah Henderson, Hon Tim Ayres, Ms Kushla Munro, Mr Mike Kaiser, David Higgins, Mr. David Higgins
all? Uh I I'll defer to my colleagues. I mean I'm sure I'm sure there were discussions but we've had a quick one
>> No, I'm going to ask you that Mr. Kaiser because >> was your department involved in the invitation process. >> And if so, how were you involved and what knowledge do you have about >> who was invited?
>> Well, Senator, I do defer to others in the department for much of this work. So I'm not appraised of everything that occurs in the department, but I am
confident before we go to officials. Can you could you address that question before we go to official?
>> I am sure there were discussions between our agency DEFAT and PMC about the leaders program and the invitation of world leaders, but we've checked and our officials are confident in the amount of time that we've been given that we were never appraised of the full invitation list of world leaders.
>> Okay. Did you have general discussions about the sorts of world leaders who would be invited?
>> Well, I didn't, but I'd like to be able to defer to uh others in the department who may have been involved in those
discussions. I mean you would know though as the departmental secretary that whether the US president the UK prime minister uh were on the list and were going to be invited because that therefore changes if they were to accept that is a very significant issue in terms of planning and logistics
the
>> sorry if we could just allow Mr. Kaiser to just interrupted.
>> I think that's right. I did I think senator that the secretary has been very direct in terms of his answer to that question that is that uh the department of climate change energy and water is not the line agency that is responsible for managing the invitation process. uh he's indicated as he is entitled to do that there may be officials who have slightly more information given that there is some interaction between the department uh and the um and the agencies responsible for that that is prime minister and cabinet uh uh in terms of what the implications uh you know who's attending and who's not are in logistical terms but that is and and he's also indicated that he has um asked officials to scan for correspondence that uh goes to the issues that you're asking about and precious little has emerged because that's not surprising because it's consistent with the outline he's given. He is entitled to ask officials to supplement if they can. Uh and I don't think it's uh fair to keep asking him the same question over and over again. and he has answered
it. And >> Minister, you interrupted Mr. Kaiser. Mr. Kaiser, could I ask if you could just complete your answer in relation to your knowledge as to the world leaders who are invited? Then we'll then go to officials.
>> I have no knowledge of the world leaders who are invited.
>> All right. So, Mr. Higgins, are you the right person or Miss Monroe, do you have any knowledge as to whether I mean I've already asked about the US president but any knowledge whatsoever as to which world leaders were invited because this is absolutely pivotal to the planning of the
>> So thank you Senator uh Kushla Munro Deputy Secretary. So as my uh colleague uh Mr. Higgins referred to uh we were not responsible for the the issuing of invitations uh there through my understanding is through ongoing discussions with the department of foreign affairs and trade and the department of prime minister and cabinet there was awareness but we were not responsible for that list.
>> Miss Monro you're not answering my question. I'm asking about your knowledge. Do you have knowledge of which world leaders were invited? Yes or
no? So again my answer is we were not responsible. There was an awareness of developments that were happening but we're not in a position to provide you with any list of world leaders that were
invited. >> Okay. So you you've got awareness about which world leaders were invited. So were you aware that the US president was invited for instance?
So, so the details of that I just I am not as I answered previously I did not have that information nor I am the right person or the right department to answer
>> M Monroe you're central to the planning for this conference I'm asking you directly were you aware whether leaders such as the US president were invited
>> I think that the official has given you that answer
>> she hasn't Mr. minister.
>> Well, she she has given you uh an answer uh and uh this is clearly a set of questions that are really questions for the department of prime minister and cabinet. Um I mean the government's uh was to uh enliven as effective as possible um a pre-OP because it's in Australia's interest to do that. Uh it's in uh uh in in any construction of our interests. Any construction of our interests uh uh uh important to do that work in terms of details of invitations like we we we can't assist you any further um than than we already have. M
>> minister, you don't have knowledge of officials awareness and I'm asking directly Miss Monroe or Mr. Higgins, do you have awareness about whether world leaders like the US president or the UK prime minister were
>> So what we're again I'll just say what we were responsible for in the department was the the issuing of invitations to ministers for the preop.
>> No, I'm interrupting you because I I'm asking you to address my question, not what you were responsible for. Did you have awareness? Please can you address
>> the as I have previously stated uh there were discussions again with the lead responsibil lead responsibility in the Commonwealth with the department of prime minister and cabinet and the department of foreign affairs and trade and there were a range of factors uh in terms of who was invited. I'm not privy to provide you with the details to to your to your question.
Uh, I I would just ask Miss Monroe, I'm just going to ask you one more time. Did you have awareness that leaders, world leaders such as the US president and the UK prime minister were invited? I would ask you specifically and I'll then ask you, Mr. Higgins, please advise this committee if you are aware that they
I personally cannot answer your question in terms of whether those particular leaders were on the invitation list.
>> So, you don't have any knowledge about that matter?
>> I do not,
>> Mr. Higgins.
>> Uh, thank you, Senator. Uh, no, nor do I. Um, and to be to be really clear, I these are matters between um uh our prime minister um the two prime ministers from Tuvalu and Fiji and their counterparts. We we did not have a role in the issuance of invitations in relation to to to that element. As Ms. Monroe said, we were responsible for inviting ministers to participate in the pre-OP itself. Um but but not in in with respect to the the leaders element.