Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

This matter has been traversed with Senator Brandis on many occasions. As he knows from the answers I have provided in this chamber and that others have provided—I think Senator Ludwig was representing in the estimates hearing—the report to which he has referred was the subject of discussion in the estimates hearing. As the senator knows, intelligence documents are produced for operational use by the AFP, they are not produced as a basis of policy advice to ministers, and they guide the operational decisions of the Australian Federal Police and its partner agencies. It was made clear to Senator Brandis by the AFP Commissioner, Mr Negus, on 19 October that the intelligence report had never been provided to ministers. In fact, he stated that the report was an ‘operationally focused document’ and it would be inappropriate to provide it to ministers.