Senate debates

Thursday, 18 October 2018

Committees

Privileges Committee; Reference

12:17 pm

Photo of Anne UrquhartAnne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Collins, I move:

That:

(1) The development of a foreign influence transparency scheme to apply to parliamentarians, be referred to the Committee of Privileges for inquiry and report with particular reference to:

(a) the imposition of transparency obligations similar to those imposed by the scheme established in accordance with the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018,

(b) the timetable for the implementation of the executive’s scheme;

(c) the recommendations of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security relating to the introduction of a parallel scheme adapted to the parliamentary environment; and

(d) any other matter.

(2) The committee consult with the equivalent committee in the House of Representatives with the aim of agreeing a single parliamentary foreign influence transparency scheme to apply uniformly, together with uniform processes for its implementation for members and senators.

Photo of Anne RustonAnne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Photo of Scott RyanScott Ryan (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Photo of Anne RustonAnne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | | Hansard source

This motion is consistent with recommendation 29 of the PJCIS advisory report on the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill 2018. That recommendation requested that the House of Representatives and the Senate deliver a parallel parliamentary foreign influence transparency scheme to the one the government is in the process of establishing.

Question agreed to.