Senate debates

Thursday, 26 March 2026

Documents

Department of the Treasury, Home Guarantee Scheme; Order for the Production of Documents

12:02 pm

Photo of Wendy AskewWendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Bragg, I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 460.

Leave granted.

I amend the motion in the terms circulated in the chamber and move:

That—

(a) the Senate notes that:

(i) on 24 July 2025, the Senate agreed to order for the production of documents no. 27, relating to Treasury advice concerning first home buyers, requiring the Minister representing the Treasurer to comply with the order by no later than midday, on Monday, 28 July 2025,

(ii) on 27 August 2025, the Senate agreed to order for the production of documents no. 119, relating to the Home Guarantee Scheme, requiring the Minister representing the Treasurer to comply with the order by no later than midday on Tuesday, 2 September 2025,

(iii) since those orders were agreed to, the Senate has agreed to a further 7 motions concerning the minister's failure to comply with the orders, rejected a public interest immunity claim raised by the Minister for Housing and required a Ministerto attend the Senate to provide an explanation of the failure to comply with the orders on three separate occasions,

(iv) most recently, on 25 March 2026, the Minister representing the Minister for Housing attended the Senate to provide a second explanation of the failure to comply with order for the production of documents no. 119or to respond in full to the order,

(v) the additional explanation provided by the Minister was not satisfactory and did not address the minister's failure to comply with the order, and

(vi) the orders have still not been fully complied with; and

(b) the Minister representing the Minister for Housing be required to attend the Senate at the start of proceedings on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, to provide an explanation, of no more than 5 minutes, of the failure to comply with the orders or to respond in full to the orders , 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 30 minutes, shall have precedence over all other business until determined, and senators may speak to the motion for not more than 5 minutes each.

As listed on pages 7 and 8 of today's Notice Paper

Photo of Katy GallagherKaty Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Photo of Sue LinesSue Lines (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Photo of Katy GallagherKaty Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | | Hansard source

The government will be opposing this motion and the amendments that have been circulated. Orders 27 and 119 are for entirely different documents. The attempt to link them together in one motion is a poor attempt from Senator Bragg, who has realised four months later that he got his own OPDs mixed up. In response to order 119, the government has already provided exactly what Senator Bragg asked for. Senator Bragg continues to move compliance motions in relation to OPD 119, an order that specifically seeks 'any correspondence or documents relating to modelling done by the Treasury regarding the contingent liability' of the Home Guarantee Scheme. That modelling is laid out for him in the documents already produced. I'm happy to provide him with a copy of his own motion if he doesn't understand. Order 119 was not for home price impact modelling.

Photo of Sue LinesSue Lines (President) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 460 standing in the name of Senator Bragg, moved and amended by Senator Askew, be agreed to.