Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Regional Development) Share this | Hansard source

As a matter of principle, the government does not support orders for the production of documents being directed to the President. Unlike a minister or an agency of executive government, the President represents the whole Senate. In this instance, the document sought would be a matter of joint parliamentary administration shared with the Speaker of the House of Representatives. It is not appropriate for the Senate to order a production of material by the President over which the President does not have unilateral control and it is offensive to the principles of camaraderie between the houses to act in such a way. The matter raised by Senator Payman has been extensively canvassed in recent years, including in an inquiry by the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee, which reported just last year.