Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 28:05 to 35:43
Senator Henderson seeks detailed information regarding a sideline meeting at a birthday party during Minister Wells' trip to Adelaide and the accuracy of reports to IPIA.
Topics: Travel and event costs, Integrity
Speakers: Senator The Hon Sarah Henderson, Mr Jim Betts, Senator Varun Ghosh, Senator Nita Green, Unknown Speaker
Alright, well, maybe you could help me. Could you tell me when the sideline meeting at the birthday party? Mr. Picton and the Minister recurred what time that began and commenced, because that's one of my questions.
So the answer to that question's already been provided to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority. No, it hasn't. Yes, it has. And No, it hasn't. Sorry, I can answer the question.
No, I'm asking.
Well, no, but you've asked the question. She's giving an answer. Please don't interrupt while that answer is being given, and then you can ask a question after that. No, but I'm I'm No, no, but she has you can't interrupt the Minister while she's you can ask another question.
You just have to let me finish.
A few words into the answer. You've got to give the Minister a chance to give her answer and then ask a follow-up.
I'm asking for the time that the meeting commenced. That was not given to IPIA. So if you could give me the answer to that question.
Well, Senator, the all of the information that is relevant to that travel has been given to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority.
Look, I appreciate you're the representing Minister. But I asked what time the meeting began and finished, where it was held, were there minutes? Details about the Minister, the meeting with Minister Farrell's office, very, very detailed questions in relation to that particular trip. And I appreciate reiterate you are the representing minister. So there were a range of very detailed questions that I asked that were not information was not provided to EPR. But what I will say, Minister, is that I would if you've got a Mr. Secretary, do you have a copy of the answers with you?
I don't have it with. Me, my team which is in debt is endeavouring to get them tabled right now.
They're not tabled or lodged. They need to be lodged as they have come through. Yeah, well they need to be submitted to the secretariat.
We're going through the normal process.
Okay. Mr. Betts, what can you do to ensure that all questions from the previous budget estimates are answered in a timely fashion going forward?
Well, the Department collates the information and provides the first draft of answers as expeditiously as we can. Sometimes, not necessarily in this case, but sometimes that involves extensive coordination when questions are asked which refer to multiple agencies. And we have 32 agencies in our broader portfolio. So that can take some time and some administrative trouble to get to that point. But we do take the provision of draft answers to the Minister's Office with high standards of accuracy very seriously and dedicate significant resources to that. From there, though, as I've explained, as has always been the case, it is the prerogative of ministers to determine the final content of the answers and their time.
Minister, I'm just wanting to refer back to what the Minister Wells told IPIA, and in relation to the trip on the 6th of June and the meeting with the South Australian Minister on the 7th of June. The information the Minister provided was the meeting with the South Australian Minister for Health and Wellbeing did not take place as scheduled in the afternoon due to the prior meeting running over. We instead held a sideline meeting during a function later that evening. I therefore estimate that my parliamentary business concluded at 7.45 on the 7th of June. I'm seeking details in relation to when that meeting, that sideline meeting occurred, when it started, when it concluded, were there minutes, what was discussed, who attended and the like, because I am concerned, and I had said previously that this meeting, in fact, was concocted to uh and that IPIA was also misled by the Minister in relation to that meeting and also the meeting in the afternoon with Mr. Farrell's Chief of Staff.
So I look forward to I understand that the answers have now been supplied to the Secretariat in two batches, one at 9.12am and one at 9.14.
Alright, well we'll we'll come back to this because we might need to Secretary with your um if you are in agreement and if the committee is in agreement because of this matter and we need to obviously process the answers. I'd like to come back to this even if we move into outcome into the first outcome if that's we're in the committee's hands. No, that's what I said if the committee is happy with that and to you, Chair. Uh otherwise we'll just need to sit on corporate, which is not necessarily helpful. can I just move to the Digital Duty of Care Bill before the House and I understand now that it is being debated today? Um I'm not sure there might be the appropriate officials you want to bring up, Mr. Betts. I'm wanting to know in relation to the Digital Duty of Care Bill. Uh we've expressed very serious concerns, not just about the attack on free speech.
Is this are we still in corporate?
Uh yes.
Okay, sorry. Yeah, yeah, that is a preamble, obviously.
Sorry.
I thought from your preamble to your question we were reaching to the next outcome.
Yeah, actually, you you're right. Um it might be actually better to leave that to outcome one. Or um or um Mr. Bitz, can you answer general questions about this bill?
That's I'm in the hands of the committee.
If it's relating to the terms of the bill or the substance of it, obviously it's before the committee itself. If it's relating to the department's operations or administration relating to the bill, then I think it's outcome five rather than corporate, because it's a matter of policy rather than the administration of the department in a corporate sense.
I've just got myself a bit lost for a moment. Um look, can I just ask some general questions in relation to the digital duty of care?
I guess I just want to go to I'm sorry, just to be clear, if it's relating to Departmental Administration, then yes. If it's relating to the corporate outcome, then we need to move to outcome five.