Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

The government thanks all members who have contributed to this debate. Private sessions enable individuals to share their personal experience about the matters into which a royal commission is enquiring in a trauma informed and less formal setting than a hearing.

The amendments proposed by the Royal Commissions Amendment (Private Sessions) Bill 2023, which would apply to all royal commissions, would enable a suitably qualified, experienced and appropriately senior staff member of a royal commission to be authorised as an assistant commissioner to conduct private sessions. The role of an assistant commissioner would be solely to hold private sessions as authorised in writing by the sole commissioner or chair of the royal commission. An assistant commissioner would not be authorised to undertake any other role or to exercise any powers of a commissioner for the royal commission.

These amendments were developed following consultation with the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide about options to assist it to complete its inquiry by 17 June 2024. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide supports the amendments and advised the government that, if the measures in the bill are enacted, the commission will be looking to appoint an assistant commissioner with the appropriate skills, experience and gravitas to ensure individuals are comfortable speaking with them and feel heard.

The royal commission has advised the government that participants in private sessions prefer face-to-face sessions over virtual sessions, and that the appointment of an extra assistant commissioner will make it possible to conduct all of the registered sessions in this way over the next 10 months.

In conclusion, this bill will provide more flexibility to royal commissions to conduct their inquiries, enabling more people to tell their story in a private session. It will also ensure that individuals who wish to participate in private sessions can do so with a person with whom they feel most comfortable to share their experience.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that this bill be reported to the House without amendment.

See this speech in context