Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Special Minister of State, Senator Faulkner. I refer to the minister’s answer yesterday where he informed the Senate that the government staffing committee has suspended its investigation into the CMAX affair and his undertaking that the government would fully cooperate with the Auditor-General’s investigation. Given that in his correspondence of 20 August 2008 the Auditor-General wrote:

The audit will have regard to the outcome of the review being undertaken by the Government Staffing Committee in respect of the engagement process—

I ask the minister: has the government deliberately suspended the inquiry to frustrate the Auditor-General’s investigation?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to that question of course is no, and it is a very offensive suggestion. The reason the Government Staffing Committee has suspended its inquiry is that that is absolutely the proper and appropriate thing to do in these circumstances. It is absolutely appropriate that the Auditor-General be able to conduct his inquiry and all his deliberations in relation to this performance audit without any suggestion of interference or ongoing process from the government at all. I am very surprised that an experienced senator like Senator Fierravanti-Wells would not understand that extremely important principle.

The principle here is very simple: the Auditor-General should be able to do his work on this performance audit, which is something that the opposition itself has supported—the opposition wants the Auditor-General to do this performance audit—without any suggestion that there is any interference at all from anyone involved in the political process, whether it be on the government’s side of the chamber or the opposition’s side of the chamber.

I happen to think that that is an important principle. I am disappointed that the opposition does not support that important principle, but reinforce what I said to the Senate yesterday in relation to this matter and I said also to the Senate last week: it is the view of the government that the—

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. I was very specific, and perhaps I should repeat it for the minister. My quote was very specific, and it was: ‘The audit will have regard to the outcome of the review being undertaken by the Government Staffing Committee in respect of the engagement process.’ The question was very simple. I ask the minister: have you deliberately suspended the inquiry to frustrate the Auditor-General’s investigation?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I think the senator is confused. I thought she was taking a point of order, not asking a supplementary question. I think she got confused while she was on her feet, but I would like you to rule as to whether that was a point of order or a supplementary question.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was no point of order.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not accept the slur that is insinuated in the question that the government would not fully cooperate with the Auditor-General’s inquiry. I have said it will. I do not say ‘it will’ lightly. The government will fully cooperate with the Auditor-General’s inquiry and I say again to the opposition, through you, Mr President: it would be inappropriate for those government processes to continue and conclude while the Auditor-General is conducting his performance audit. I repeat the commitments that I gave to this chamber in relation to the questions that were asked of me previously.

Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ronaldson interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ronaldson, that is disorderly!

Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, are you not concerned that the principal person of interest in this investigation, Mr Taubenschlag, is involved, because he works for the Minister for Defence and is involved in the reporting of high-security issues such as meetings with NATO and related matters? Minister, isn’t it now time to stand down Mr Taubenschlag and Ms O’Rourke until the Auditor-General’s investigation is complete?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we need here is a full and unfettered inquiry by the Auditor-General. The opposition needs, before it asks silly supplementary questions like this, to remember whether Mr Vaile or Mr Nairn were stood down when the Auditor-General investigated the Regional Partnerships program. Of course they were not. Was Dr Wooldridge asked to stand down when the Auditor-General investigated the MRI scandal before the 1998 budget?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Were Senators Alston and Hill asked to stand down when the Federation Fund issue, that very shonky issue, was investigated by the Auditor-General? Of course not. Was finance minister John Fahey asked to—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is little time left in question time, but Senator Faulkner is still entitled to be heard in silence. You have been interjecting too much today in question time, Senator Fifield, and I ask you to be quiet.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I believe that the government and the opposition should apply the same standards on this issue. Let the Auditor-General do his work unfettered, without political interference. That is the government’s commitment. I have said it time and time again and I mean it.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.