George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, Senator Seselja, I can. It follows from the court's judgement that Commonwealth payments to persons under the school chaplaincy program were invalidly made. The effect of the decision is that these program payments, totalling over $150 million, are now debts owing to the Commonwealth under the Financial Management and Accountability Act. However, under that act, the Minister for Finance has the power to approve a waiver of debt of an amount owing to the Commonwealth which totally extinguishes that debt. I am advised by my friend Senator Cormann that he has today agreed to waive the program payments made to date. That decision will provide certainty to funding recipients that these debts will not be recovered in consequence of that decision.