Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, I wish to correct an answer I gave in the House during question time on Thursday 28 May 2015 in response to a question from the member for Isaacs. In my answer I said that a letter from Mr Man Monis to the Attorney-General dated 7 October 2014 and the Attorney-General's Department's subsequent reply of 5 November 2014:

… were both placed before the inquiry into the Martin Place siege, conducted by the secretaries of the Prime Minister's and the New South Wales Premier's departments.

My statement was based on the evidence given by the deputy secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, Ms Katherine Jones, in budget estimates the previous day, Wednesday 27 May 2015. The Attorney-General's Department has now advised that Ms Jones's evidence was incorrect and that the letter and reply were not provided to the review due to an administrative error in the Attorney-General's Department. Ms Jones has written to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee to correct her evidence. I am advised that both letters have now been referred to officials at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet who were responsible for the Sydney siege review.

The secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Mr Michael Thawley, has written to the Prime Minister today to inform him that the letter and response would have made no difference to the outcome of the review. I table the letter to the Prime Minister dated 4 June 2015. I note that Mr Monis's letter and the response were provided to the coronial inquest into the tragedy. When advised of the error, the Attorney-General asked the secretary of his department, Mr Chris Moraitis, to conduct a comprehensive review into the matter to enable Ms Jones and ministers who were relying on her evidence to correct the record. I should also reiterate that the director-general of ASIO, Mr Duncan Lewis, provided evidence to Senate estimates on Thursday 28th of May 2015 that the handling of the letter by the Attorney-General's office and the subsequent reply by the Attorney-General's office was appropriate.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Speaker, it is a serious matter of order that ministers, if they make an error, have to correct it at the earliest opportunity. I appreciate that prior to today it has not been possible for the foreign minister to do so. But the foreign minister has waited until the end of question time when there is no opportunity for further scrutiny, when the foreign minister could have done so at an earlier opportunity. It is a serious matter that goes to whether the sort of questioning that was being corrected could have been continued today.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is no point of order. The fact of the matter is that the correct time for correcting answers is at the end of question time.

Mr Burke interjecting—

I will not accept argument. Resume your seat.