Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Prime Minister in writing, on 28 November 2019:

(1) Why hasn't the Prime Minister advised the Queen to authorise the release of the 'Palace letters' which are currently subject to an expensive High Court appeal (High Court Case Number: Case No. S262/2019).

(2) When will the Prime Minister stop wasting taxpayer money and simply advise the Queen to authorise the release of the 'Palace letters'.

(3) Why has the Prime Minister not indicated his support for Australian historian, Professor Jenny Hocking's claim, and by extension the Australian people's, of a right to know what the 'Palace letters' contain regarding relevant parties prior to the dismissal of the Whitlam Government by Sir John Kerr on 11 November 1975.

(4) In what circumstances will the Government deem correspondence between the Monarch and the Governor-General as 'personal'; (a) what is the distinction between 'personal' and 'non-personal'; and (b) what are the defining characteristics that distinguish correspondence as 'personal' as opposed to 'non-personal'.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

As this matter (Hocking v. Director-General of the National Archives of Australia) is currently before the High Court of Australia, it would not be appropriate to comment.