Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 0:03 to 7:35
Senator Hume questions officials from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet regarding the invitation process for the COP31 pre-COP meeting held in Fiji and Tuvalu, focusing on the number of world leaders invited.
Topics: COP31, Climate change, Diplomatic events
Speakers: Dr Lauren Bain, Senator The Hon Jane Hume, Speaker 5, Unknown Speaker, Speaker 1, Speaker 3
Good evening everybody. Um we will return to the department of prime minister and cabinet and we will start with senator Hume.
>> Thank you chair. I just want to follow up on some questions this morning that uh were um from environ environment and communications. They were talking about the pre-OP meeting and officials from DQ confirmed that questions about the invitation process for world leaders should be directed to this committee and specifically to PMNC. So can I ask then how many world leaders or heads of government were invited to attend the preop meeting in Fiji and Toual?
>> Thank you Senator. I'm just being joined by colleagues from our international security group.
Senator, thank you for your question. Lauren Bane, first assistant secretary, international division. Um, your question was about the number of PMNC officials. >> Yep.
So I'd like to know just at this stage just how many were invited.
>> Uh there were 14 officers from PMNC Senator who attended in their capacities supporting the prime minister's travel.
>> Sorry, how many world leaders?
>> Oh, world leaders. Sorry, I thought you
attend the pre-OP meeting.
>> Senator, um just some background I think that might be helpful for framing this conversation. Um the event the pre-OP leaders event was co-hosted by Australia with Fiji and Tuvalu uh on behalf of the Pacific. So we uh were engaged on that um trilaterally with our partners from from Fiji and Tuvalu. Decisions on who to invite were taken uh trilaterally among all three co-hosts uh following consultation with the broader Pacific uh including through the Pacific Island um as is normal protocol um and practice for events that are not open more broadly. Invitation lists are not usually disclosed.
>> Yeah, we funded it though, didn't we?
>> We provided funding. Yes, that's
>> Okay. So, you don't disclose who the invitation went out to. Can you disclose how the invitation was sent? Was it a
>> Uh sure. Yes. Um it was a letter uh sent by the three leaders of those countries, Australia, uh Fiji and Tuvalu.
>> And where did the I mean what was on the heading of the letter? I mean was did it come from one government? Did it come from three governments? Did it come from
>> senator? It was a joint invitation by the three leaders.
>> Where did it come from? Did it must have actually you know where was the postmark
on the letter? Senator, um in in Australia's case, we certainly conveyed through our diplomatic missions um in the relevant countries. Um I know that Fiji and Tuvalu also um advocated for attendance,
How many letters went out?
>> Uh Senator, it's not in my gift to to share precisely how many. >> Why is that? Senator, as I said earlier, um it was a trilateral um arrangement to invite uh invite leaders to attend and that was something that was done um under the understanding between the three countries that we would not disclose precisely who had been invited.
Minister Bowen said that he was inviting all leaders and he said this publicly.
>> Can you refer us to that?
>> Sorry.
>> Sorry. Could you refer us to what you're referencing?
>> Didn't Minister Bowen didn't he say he was inviting all world leaders to the pre-cut meeting?
>> Do you do you have the interview or the hand?
>> No, but I will absolutely find it. I remember I remember I'm not I wasn't
trying to cast aspersions. I just would like to see it so we can I don't have anything in front of me that has that in
it. >> So what I want to understand is if we're funding it and you know who was invited why you can't tell this committee because this committee is all about the appropriation of funds what they were spent on why they were spent there the decisions that governments make.
Senator, it was a trilateral decision to uh decide who to in invite uh to the pre-OP leaders event. Um that was it was certainly the understanding among the three countries that the details of who we were inviting would be would remain confidential between the parties.
So, if you've got knowledge of who was invited, regardless of whether or not it's usual practice, surely you should disclose to this who was invited, at least how many letters were sent.
Senator, I would have to take that on notice. Um, to be clear, to disclose the details of precisely who was invited, uh, would break the confidence that we have with those two other co-hosts, Fiji
and Tuvalu. So on the 5th of October in 2026 in Fiji, Minister Bowen said, "This is the first preop where we've invited world leaders."
>> Okay. Is that correct? >> You said all. That's what I was asking. I don't recall him saying
>> All right. Well, you must Well,
>> sorry. Sorry. No, no. Just to be clear, chair. I thought the Senate I might be wrong, Senator Hume, but I thought you said all world leaders. I thought that's not what I recall governments.
>> Well, perhaps there were some that were left off the list and I can understand
why that might be. I'm sorry. I was I'll start again. You said all world leaders. That's why I queried it because I don't recall that being the government's position. It might have been that someone said that in an interview, but I don't recall that as the government's position. Um, you've now given me a quote that said he invite world leaders. I think that's consistent with what uh Dr. Barnes is saying.
So Minister Bowen said we are going to bring the world to the Pacific. I want to know which world leaders were invited to come to the Pacific because can we be honest about this? Tubaloo said that they were disappointed in the number of world leaders that
>> Uh Senator, it might help if I can talk through who did attend um the preop. uh leaders event and I know my colleague uh from DQ ran through some of this for uh for this committee um leaders and representatives from a total of 37 countries and international organizations participated in the pre-OP leaders event in Fiji and Tuvalu that included 14 leaders, 18 ministers, two senior officials and seven high level representatives from international organizations. I note that DQ gave the number of 53 uh leaders and ministers that relates to the broader preop, not just the leaders event. So there is a discrepancy between those numbers. I just point that out. I
>> I'm still not entirely sure why there's a secret about who's invited. >> I know you said it's sort of protocol and it would breach an agreement. But what agreement? Why does it need to be why is it a secret?