David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice and Customs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a clarification of an answer I gave on 22 March.

Leave granted.

On 22 March 2007 in response to a question from Senator Ludwig relating to an AFP investigation into electoral allowance fraud, I advised that the AFP had provided a copy of its ministerial briefing to the Department of Finance and Administration, DOFA, on Friday, 2 March 2007. I wish to clarify this point. DOFA was provided with advice that the warrants had been commenced to facilitate its own ministerial briefing process on the morning of Friday, 2 March 2007. The AFP provided DOFA with a draft copy of a ministerial briefing on the morning of Wednesday, 28 February to allow the department to prepare its own ministerial briefing. I also indicate that DOFA had assisted the AFP with this matter. I reiterate that the AFP had no evidence to support the assertion that a leak on a tip-off occurred in relation to this matter.