Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the opposition for their question. In terms of the Fair Work Australia conclusions on the investigation into the HSU Victorian No.1 Branch, we welcome the conclusions of the investigation by Fair Work Australia. We do note the general manager's comment that the investigation findings relate to the keeping and lodgement of financial records and financial management. Fair Work Australia, as I think I have said in this chamber before, is an independent agency and the government will continue to fully respect its independence.

In terms of the investigation report, we note that the decision originally was not to make the report public, but that eventually it would respond to requests from the Senate committee to produce it. For the record it is worth adding that the report was provided to the Senate Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations last week and of course made public by the committee on Friday. It is a matter that Minister Shorten will have an opportunity to follow and read through, obviously. He has already made some broad comments about it, but it would be early in this piece to actually provide Mr Shorten's comments in relation to the investigation and the report itself. I will seek further and better particulars from Mr Shorten as to whether or not he wants to provide any particular response to the question you have raised. Again, I remind those opposite that it is a matter that is still, and can be, in the domain of being referred further—for example, to the Australian Taxation Office. (Time expired)