David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 141.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) on 26 August 2025, the Senate ordered the Minister representing the Minister for Communications to either fully comply with order for the production of documents no. 8, by 9 am on Thursday, 28 August 2025 or to, by the same date, in respect of each document where a claim of public interest immunity is asserted, provide a description of the document being withheld, the specific ground on which public interest immunity is claimed and describe the harm to the public interest expected to result from that document's disclosure;

(ii) in response to the order the minister advised that 'no further information is available as per the public interest immunity claim cited under order no. 8', and

(iii) this response does not address how the provision of a list of documents in respect of which public interest immunity is asserted would 'disclose commercially sensitive information' or 'prejudice the Government's ongoing ability to obtain relevant commercial information from stakeholders to inform the Government's consideration of policy matters'; and

(b) requires the Minister representing the Minister for Communications to attend the Senate on Wednesday, 3 September 2025 at the conclusion of question time to provide an explanation of no more than 5 minutes as to why the minister has not complied with the Senate's order, including how the provision of a list of documents could harm the public interest, and that:

(i) any senator may move to take note of the explanation, and

(ii) any such motion may be debated for no longer than 20 minutes and shall have precedence over all business until determined and senators may speak to the motion for not more than 5 minutes each.

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

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 141, as amended by Senator Pocock, be agreed to.