Additional comments

1.1Coalition committee members do not agree with the conclusions as written in paragraph 1.7 of this report. It is important to note that Coalition members presented a dissenting report to the initial Interim Report released by the JCPAA in September 2023.

1.2Coalition members believe it is inappropriate to name specific individuals in this report, especially former Minister Stuart Robert and Mr David Milo, as the Committee has previously referred to other individuals connected with this inquiry as “officials” or “representatives.”

1.3For consistency and neutrality, it would be suitable to refer to all individuals as “officials” and Stuart Robert as “government minister.”

1.4As stated in our dissenting report to the Interim Report, Coalition committee members support the referral to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) of any serious allegations of corruption that are drawn to the Committee’s attention.

1.5However, it is not the role of the Committee to request that the NACC conduct an investigation into any matter. The NACC is an independent agency and consideration of an investigation is the responsibility of the NACC Commissioner.

1.6We further consider that paragraph 2.46 and 2.47 should be deleted as this matter was dealt with in the Interim Report published in September 2023.

1.7Coalition committee members are concerned about the intent of paragraph 2.47 which states that consistent with the recommendations in its Interim Report, the Committee will make the appropriate authorities aware of this final report and additional evidence via correspondence.

1.8Coalition Members believe the appropriate response to all individuals or organisations who make corruption allegations to the Joint Standing Committee on Public Accounts and Audit (JCPAA) is for the Committee to write to the submitter advising them on how they can directly refer their allegations to the NACC athttps://report.nacc.gov.au/.

1.9This approach ensures that referrals to the NACC are made by the person or persons who are best able to provide the NACC with the information and evidence relevant to the allegations and avoids the risk that the NACC Commissioner identified in his Opening Address on 3 July 2023 of the Commission being “weaponized” through inappropriate or unfounded referrals.

1.10We also believe that this consistent and principles-based approach would avoid the circumstances described by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese; that it would be “entirely inappropriate for politicians to direct the national integrity commission to investigate a matter” and “it in fact could be regarded as an entirely inappropriate action by the Prime Minister, or any other politician for that matter, to try to direct the anti-commission into what to do.”

Senator the Hon Linda ReynoldsCSC

Deputy Chair

Senator the Hon Matthew CanavanMr Ian Goodenough MP

Mr Henry Pike MPMr Aaron Violi MP