Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 1:06:52 to 1:11:43
Senators raise concerns over delayed answers to questions on notice and seek details regarding Minister Wells' travel to Adelaide in June 2023.
Topics: Travel and event costs, Integrity
Speakers: Senator The Hon Sarah Henderson, Senator Nita Green, Mr Jim Betts
Look, I'm now wef I look at the programme, we were due to go to outcome five at 9.30 in relation to the answering of questions on notice. We've literally just received some of them in our inbox now. I mean this is a very unsatisfactory process where we are trying to do our job, and I'm literally reading documents. Like hundreds of pages of documents from what I can tell on the run. So this is an entirely unsatisfactory process, and I know and I'm I appreciate that the Department has from your evidence, Mr. Betts acted constructively, but this is just Minister to you, if you can please convey to Minister Wells that this is just utterly unacceptable. I I do want to go to the answer that's been given in relation to Minister Wells' travel to Adelaide in June last year. The answer that she has given to my very detailed questions. What time did this meeting commence and finish? Where precisely at the venue? This is the birthday party of Mr. Picton's wife, who is a good friend of the Ministers? What precisely at the venue was the meeting held, who else attended the meeting, what was the purpose of the meeting, are there minutes of the meeting, and if so, please provide a copy. What time did this meeting commence and finish? What precisely where precisely was the meeting held? Who else attended it? What was the purpose of the meeting, etc., etc.? And the Minister has responded to all of these detailed questions. And these are questions three through until seven. All information that is available to the Minister, including the Minister's diary for the relevant period has been released publicly. Provided to EPR audited by EPR, publicly confirmed by all other parties. These questions have not been answered. So Mr Mr. Betts, can I please ask you to address the fact that these questions haven't been answered? Can I also ask if you prepared a brief in relation to either of these meetings on the 7th of June in Adelaide with with Minister Farrell's office and also Mr. Picton?
Okay, so the content of the answer is the responsibility of the Minister's Office. So you're best directing your questions then. In terms of the briefings for the meeting, I think. I explained at the last Senate estimates that, particularly where ministers are engaging with their state territory counterparts, it is routine for those meetings to be quite informal and not necessarily to involve any brief from the department. I don't think a brief was prepared for either of the meetings that you've referred to, and there's nothing exceptional about that.
Minister, do you have anything further to add? Well, um in relation to why these questions haven't been answered.
Well, the the answer in the question I notice is the same answer that I gave you this morning. And just to add, I think you made some commentary earlier about those meetings. All parties to those meetings have publicly confirmed that those meetings have taken place, including Minister Farrell last night in estimates.
So Minister, I'm just looking for the evidence that the meeting took place. When did the meeting start? When did the meeting finish? What was discussed? Where it was held. Because there is no evidence to support the Minister's version of these stories that these meetings occurred. There's no evidence that this meeting even occurred because when we sought details of the meetings. They are not available.
I don't agree with that. Characterisation, um all of the information available to the Minister has been given to IPR. They appeared last night. Um I believe I was in a different committee, but they they appeared last night in front of Senate Estimates. Um I don't think they were even asked any questions about this matter, but um we have the Minister's given all that relevant information to IP, and it's all publicly available, which is the same answer you've got in your question on notice, obviously.