Barbara Pocock (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Finance and Public Administration References Committee for inquiry and report by 26 September 2023:

The management and assurance of integrity by consulting services provided for the Australian Government, with particular reference to:

(a) the management of conflicts of interest by consultants;

(b) measures to prevent conflicts of interest, breach of contract or any other unethical behaviour by consultants;

(c) enforcement measures taken in response to integrity breaches, such as the inadequate management of conflicts of interest, breach of contract or any other unethical behaviour by consultants;

(d) the management of risks to public sector integrity arising from the engagement of consultants;

(e) the transparency of work undertaken by consultants, and the accountability of consultants for this work; and

(f) any other related matters.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One Nation will be supporting Senator Barbara Pocock's motion because we believe that the big consulting companies are basically guns for hire. They're opinions for hire. They give the government what the government wants, at a million dollars a gig. Some of these big firms are multinationals out of Japan. So we will be supporting this.

Question agreed to.