Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, , 13:03 to 19:08
The committee discusses the reporting protocols between state jurisdictions and federal regulators, including the challenges of sharing information from ongoing police investigations.
Topics: Integrity, National security, Government spending
Speakers: Hon Bridget McKenzie, Jessica Hall, Mr. Jim Betts, Toby Robinson, Unknown Speaker
>> I will do our best to provide it.
>> Yeah. Whether it's at what level of the decision making around uh these two projects in Victoria um where the conflict actually Um, now I just want to make sure my maths is correct because I had that we had um six only 63 reports 54 in the previous estimates um of allegations of unlawful or corrupt behavior on Commonwealth infrastructure projects and 56 of those 63 as we recall were in Victoria. are you now saying there were 84 plus these 27? >> I just want to be
>> 84. It includes the 27.
>> Yeah, 84 includes the 27.
>> And so the 84 were our original 63 plus.
>> so as we go >> so there's six difference as we go through as if you remember senator we have um multiple duplications and allegations so as we go through and we refine the number and the they contract
>> okay so we're double counting goes to
that point about more allegations than actual incident
>> so we've lost six over the time as we've refined
>> we've refined it okay
what I mean.
>> We'd hate to think we'd some had fallen off the table. Um can I just ask then uh jurisdictions uh let the Commonwealth Department know uh they've referred these to the appropriate regulator? Thank you so much. Um is there any kind of resolution process any update? Some will get referred to vic pole, some will get referred to state corruption bodies, other to the fair work ombbudsman etc. What sort of reporting mechanism is in place for the commonwealth taxpayer to be assured uh that something's resolved? Um there is a criminal finding. Uh therefore what are the next steps in recouping losses or or addressing failures in the system?
>> Tim will be able to take you through
>> Yes. So, Senator, under our reporting protocol, the jurisdictions report to the department monthly. Um, and that relates not just to any alleg uh any uh new allegations, but also um any updates on existing allegations. So, that would go to uh things like where further details of the allegation become available or the outcomes of any investigation.
>> Okay. Then, well, let's go through some of those updates for the previous amalgamated 63 or 56, but can I please have updates on the previous uh projects? Thank you.
>> So, Senator, the these allegations are law enforcement
>> jurisdictions were reporting monthly. So I would like to un I would like to get a little update if you're getting the report from jurisdictions uh monthly. I would like it quarterly at estimates. So let's go through the updates.
So Senator, we get updates in regards to new allegations being reported. We also um in regards to the updates of the actual allegations themselves um they take a considerable amount of time in regards to going through a legal process. So they they don't take >> monthly or quarterly in regards to
>> so is there any update then on the previous uh allegations outlined by jurisdictions to the department?
>> I guess the update is that they have all been referred to the relevant integrity body and are under investigation by that body. We don't have I don't think we have further information than that at this stage.
>> Sorry that yeah is a significant change from what I thought the evidence was given that you were getting monthly updates about the whether something had been resolved or not.
>> When it has been resolved it will be included in a monthly update but these matters have been referred to for instance the fairwork um ombbudsman and we await further information from the ombudsman as to
>> so some of I would like um have any been
So what we can tell you is the way that we're actually working with some of the regulators um which I think we mentioned to you previously and what we're trying to put in place to get information um from the regulators because often the jurisdictions themselves with all of these once they've handed it over to the regulator or to the police they also do not necessarily know what's happening in regard regards to the investigation. So, we can't necessarily get that information from the jurisdiction. So, we're now relying on the regulator providing us or the relevant criminal uh um police authority to provide that information. So, it's a completely different body that actually provides us with the updated
information. And what requirement is Vic Pole needs to tell the federal department of infrastructure what's happening with any given allegation? There would be no requirement at all. You would have no jurisdiction over this.