Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

There is no clear precedent in the form that Senator Gallagher is outlining. The clear precedent under governments of both political persuasions—and I can provide the chamber with a long list of quotes from former Prime Minister Gillard in the last period of Labor government, when precisely the same claims of public interest immunity were made in relation to documents prepared for the consideration of cabinet or a cabinet subcommittee and which informed the deliberation of cabinet, which were exempt from public release. There are well-established conventions in relation to this for good reasons, and our government, in the same way as previous Labor and coalition governments, is absolutely acting consistently with those conventions.

With those few words, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.