Louise Pratt (WA, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Water) Share this | Hansard source

There is an extensive table within this report that outlines almost all of the questions that public servants and, indeed, Senator Brandis failed to answer. There was just a systematic referral of public servants to the minister. I understand that is allowed for under our standing orders. But if they wish to leave the minister an option of making a public interest immunity claim then public servants, in answering questions, are free to do that. However, the committee has a right to answers to those questions, and Senator Brandis has withheld those public servants from answering questions from our committee at the same time—