John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share 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—