Footnotes

Chapter 2 - Background to the inquiry

[1]        Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12^th edition, p. 468. The terms 'public interest immunity' and 'privilege' were used interchangeably by witnesses, and accordingly both are used throughout this report. Similarly, the terms 'arbitrator' and 'arbiter' are both used in the report as they were also used interchangeably by witnesses.

[2]        Mr Evans was the Clerk of the Senate at the time he made a submission to the inquiry (Submission 4) on 26 November 2009, but had retired when he appeared before the committee on 7 December 2009. In the interests of simplicity, Mr Evans will be referred to as the 'former Clerk of the Senate' throughout this report.

[3]        Mr Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, Submission 4, appendix 1.

[4]        See for example: reference in Odgers' to a paper circulated by the Employment Workplace Relations and Education Committee during the May 2005 Budget Estimates, Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12th edition, p. 469; and Government guidelines for official witnesses before Parliamentary committees and related matters - November 1989, para. 2.32, www.dpmc.gov.au/guidelines/docs/official_witnesses.pdf (accessed 19 January 2010).

[5]        Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Government guidelines for official witnesses before Parliamentary committees and related matters - November 1989, para. 2.32, p. 9.

[6]        Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12th edition, p. 469.

[7]        Advice from the Clerk of the Senate, Grounds for Public Interest Immunity Claims, tabled during Senate Employment, Workplace Relations and Education Legislation Commission Budget Estimates hearing, 30 May 2005.

[8]        Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12^th edition, p. 469.

[9]        Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12^th edition, pp 469–70.

[10]      Mr Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, 'Public Interest Immunity Claims in the Senate', (2002) 13 Public Law Review 3, at p. 3.

[11]      It should be noted that all public interest immunity claims should only be made by a minister, see Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Government Guidelines for Official Witnesses before Parliamentary Committees and Related Matters, November 1989, para 2.28, p. 8, www.dpmc.gov.au/guidelines/docs/official_witnesses.pdf (accessed 19 January 2010).

[12]      Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12^th edition, pp 445–6.

[13]      Procedural Information Bulletin, No. 237, for the sitting period 16 November to 2 December 2009, 3 December 2009, pp 4–5.

[14]      Response from the Hon Nicola Roxon MP, Minister for Health and Ageing, to the Order of the Senate relating to legal advice on the Health Insurance Amendment (Revival of Table Items) Bill 2009, tabled 18 November 2009; Response from the Hon Justine Elliot MP, Minister for Ageing,  in relation to the Order of the Senate of 17 November 2009, tabled 18 November 2009; Response from the Hon Stephen Conroy MP, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, to the Order of the Senate on 13 May 2009 relating to the National Broadband Network documents, tabled 26 October 2009.

[15]      Report of the Royal Commission on Australian Government Administration, 1976, Parliamentary Paper 185/1976, p. 115.

[16]      Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12th edition, p. 72.

[17]      Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12th edition, p. 446.

[18]      Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12^th edition, p. 488.

[19]      Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12^th edition, p. 469.

[20]      Mr Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, Submission 4, p. 2.

[21]      Senate Procedure Committee, Third Report of 2009, August 2009, p. 2.

[22]      Senate Procedure Committee, Third Report of 2009, August 2009, p. 2.

[23]      Senate Procedure Committee, Third Report of 2009, August 2009, p. 2.

[24]      Senate Procedure Committee, Third Report of 2009, August 2009, p. 3.

[25]      Senate Procedure Committee, Fourth report of 2009, November 2009, p. 2.

[26]      Senate Procedure Committee, Fourth report of 2009, November 2009, p. 2.

[27]      Senate Procedure Committee, Fourth Report of 2009, November 2009, p. 3.

[28]      Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Government Guidelines for Official Witnesses before Parliamentary Committees and Related Matters, November 1989, p. 9, www.dpmc.gov.au/guidelines/docs/official_witnesses.pdf (accessed 19 January 2010).

[29]      Mr Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, Submission 4, p. 2. The respective Senate Committee reports mentioned were: Senate Privileges Committee, Parliamentary Privileges Amendment (Enforcement of Lawful Orders) Bill 1994: Casselden Place Reference, March 1995; Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee, Contracting Out of Government Services: Second Report, May 1998, Chapter 5.

[30]      Mr Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, Submission 4, p. 2.

[31]      Senator Gareth Evans, Senate Hansard, 23 September 1982, p. 104.

[32]      Senate Journals, 23 September 1982, J.1105–7; Senate Journals, 14 October 1982, J.1125; Senate Journals, 25 November 1982, J.1258–9.

[33]      Senator Gareth Evans, Senate Hansard, 23 September 1982, p. 1238.

[34]      Senate Hansard, 15 December 1982, p. 3581.

[35]      Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Privilege, Final Reports, October 1984, Parliamentary Paper 219/1984, p. 153.

[36]      Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Privilege, Final Reports, October 1984, Parliamentary Paper 219/1984, p. 154.

[37]      Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Privilege, Final Reports, October 1984, Parliamentary Paper 219/1984, p. 154.

[38]      Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12^th edition, p. 480.

[39]      Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12^th edition, p. 480, quoting a letter from the Clerk to the Senate Select Committee on Certain Aspects of Foreign Ownership Decisions in Relation to the Print Media.

[40]      Senate Committee on Privileges, Parliamentary Privileges Amendment (Enforcement of Lawful Orders) Bill 1994, 49^th Report, September 1994, p. 8.

[41]      Senate Committee on Privileges, Parliamentary Privileges Amendment (Enforcement of Lawful Orders) Bill 1994, 49^th Report, September 1994, p. 10.

[42]      Senate Committee on Privileges, Parliamentary Privileges Amendment (Enforcement of Lawful Orders) Bill 1994, 49^th Report, September 1994, p. 10.

[43]      Senator the Hon Gareth Evans, Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senate Committee on Privileges Hansard, 18 August 1994, p. 13.

[44]      Mr Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, Senate Committee on Privileges Hansard, 18 August 1994, p. 32; Mr Anthony Morris QC, Barrister, Senate Committee on Privileges Hansard, 18 August 1994, p. 85.

[45]      Senate Committee on Privileges, Parliamentary Privileges Amendment (Enforcement of Lawful Orders) Bill 1994 – Casselden Place Reference, 52^nd Report, March 1995, p. 5.

[46]      Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee, Contracting Out of Government Services Second Report, May 1998, p. 71.

[47]      Senate Journals, 20 June 2001, pp 4358–9.

[48]      Senate Order of Continuing Effect of  20 June 2001 as amended, paragraph (5).

[49]      Mr Ian McPhee, Auditor-General, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 55.

[50]      This section is largely drawn from the submission of Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Submission 6, p. 2.

[51]      As at time of research for: Lynn Lovelock, 'The Power of the New South Wales Legislative Council to Order the Production of State Papers: Revisiting the Egan Decisions Ten Years On, Australian Parliamentary Review, Spring 2009, Vol 24(2), p. 202.

[52]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 22.

[53]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 15.

[54]      (1998) 195 CLR 424.

[55]      (1999) 46 NSWLR 563.

[56]      Lynn Lovelock, 'The Power of the New South Wales Legislative Council to Order the Production of State Papers: Revisiting the Egan Decisions Ten Years On, Australian Parliamentary Review, Spring 2009, Vol 24(2), p. 199.

[57]      Egan v Willis (1998) 195 CLR 424, per Gaudron, Gummow and Hayne JJ.

[58]      NSW Legislative Council, Standing Order 52 (6); Victorian Legislative Council, Sessional Order 19 (7).

[59]      Legislative Council of Victoria, Submission 5, p. 2.

[60]      Legislative Council of Victoria, Submission 5, Attachment 3.

[61]      Mr Wayne Tunnecliffe, Clerk of the Legislative Council, Victoria, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 3.

[62]      Mr Wayne Tunnecliffe, Clerk of the Legislative Council, Victoria, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 3.

[63]      Mr Wayne Tunnecliffe, Clerk of the Legislative Council, Victoria, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 7.

[64]      Mr Wayne Tunnecliffe, Clerk of the Legislative Council, Victoria, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 13.

[65]      Mr Shane Rattenbury, ACT Legislative Assembly Hansard, 7 May 2009, p. 2042.

[66]      Mr Shane Rattenbury, ACT Legislative Assembly Hansard, 7 May 2009, p. 2043.

[67]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, pp 33–34.

[68]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Submission 2, pp 1–3.

[69]      John Evans, Parliamentary Privilege Order for papers and executive privilege; committee inquiries and statutory secrecy provisions, paper presented to the Australasian Study of Parliament Group, Victorian Chapter, 2002, Annual Conference, 12 October 2002, p. 3.

[70]      Legislative Council of Victoria, Submission 5, p. 2.

[71]      Harry Evans, 'Public Interest Immunity Claims in the Senate', (2002) 13 Public Law Review 3, at p. 4.

[72]      Mr Wayne Tunnecliffe, Clerk of the Legislative Council, Victoria, Submission 5, Attachment 1.

[73]      Sir Laurence Street, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 64.

[74]      Sir Laurence Street, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 64.

[75]      Sir Laurence Street, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 70.

[76]      Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12^th edition, p. 469.

[77]      Harry Evans ed., Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, 12^th edition, p. 469.

[78]      Senate Committee on Privileges, Parliamentary Privileges Amendment (Enforcement of Lawful Orders) Bill 1994, 49^th Report, September 1994, p. 8.

[79]      Senate Committee on Privileges, Parliamentary Privileges Amendment (Enforcement of Lawful Orders) Bill 1994, 49^th Report, September 1994, p. 9.

[80]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, pp 33–34.

Chapter 3 - Independent arbitration processes—benefits, costs and potential for misuse

[1]        Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 28.

[2]        Sir Laurence Street, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 70.

[3]        Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009,  p. 43.

[4]        Mr Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, Submission 4, p. 2.

[5]        Mr Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, Submission 4, p. 2.

[6]        Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 43.

[7]        Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009,   p. 20.

[8]        Associate Professor Anne Twomey, Submission 2, p. 16.

[9]        Mr Harry Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 51.

[10]      Mr Harry Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 51.

[11]      Mr Harry Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 51.

[12]      Sir Laurence Street, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 64.

[13]      Mr Harry Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 51.

[14]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 20.

[15]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 19.

[16]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, pp 40–41.

[17]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009,  p. 40.

[18]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009,  p. 40.

[19]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009,  p. 40.

[20]      Mr Wayne Tunnecliffe, Clerk of the Legislative Council, Victoria, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 8.

[21]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 18.

[22]      Mr Wayne Tunnecliffe, Clerk of the Legislative Council, Victoria, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 6.

[23]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 26.

[24]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 17.

[25]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009,  p. 45.

[26]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009,  p. 45.

[27]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 17.

[28]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 19.

[29]      NSW Legislative Council, Answers to Questions on Notice, 7 December 2009, received 22 December 2009.

[30]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, Private Capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 34.

[31]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009,  p. 39.

[32]      Mr Harry Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, pp 50–51.

[33]      Mr Wayne Tunnecliffe, Clerk of the Legislative Council, Victoria, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 3.

Chapter 4 - The proposed Senate resolution

[1]        Mr Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, Submission 4, p. 1.

[2]        Associate Professor Anne Twomey, Submission 2, Attachment 1, p. 9, references omitted.

[3]        Associate Professor Anne Twomey, Submission 2, Attachment 1, p. 8.

[4]        Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 23.

[5]        Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 21.

[6]        Mr Harry Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 50.

[7]        Mr Harry Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 47.

[8]        Mr Harry Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 50.

[9]        Associate Professor Anne Twomey, Submission 2, Attachment 1, p. 11.

[10]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, Submission 2, Attachment 1, p. 11.

[11]      Egan v Chadwick (1999) 46 NSWLR 563, per Spigelman CJ at [52] – [53].

[12]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, Submission 2, Attachment 1, p. 12.

[13]      Report of Sir Laurence Street, Papers on Data Electricity, 14 October 1999, p. 3, quoted in Associate Professor Anne Twomey, Submission 2, Attachment 1, p. 12.

[14]      Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 21.

[15]      Sir Laurence Street, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 66.

[16]      Sir Laurence Street, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 66.

[17]      Mr Harry Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 50.

[18]      See paragraph (2) of the proposed resolution.

[19]      Including Associate Professor Anne Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, p. 38; and the Hon Tim Smith QC, Chairman of the Accountability Round Table, Submission 11, p. 2.

[20]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, NSW Legislative Council, Submission 6, p. 5.

[21]      Mr David MacGill, Assistant Secretary, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 62.

[22]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 17.

[23]      Legislative Council of Victoria, Submission 5, p. 4.

[24]      Mr Harry Evans, Former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 48.

[25]      The Hon Tim Smith QC, Chairman of the Accountability Round Table, Submission 11, p. 2.

[26]      The Hon Tim Smith QC, Chairman of the Accountability Round Table, Submission 11, p. 2.

[27]      Mr Ian McPhee, Auditor-General, Australian National Audit Office, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 54.

[28]      Mr Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, Submission 4, p. 2.

[29]      Mr Harry Evans, Clerk of the Senate, Submission 4, p. 2.

[30]      Mr Harry Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 49.

[31]      Mr Ian McPhee, Auditor-General, Submission  8, p, 2.

[32]      Mr Ian McPhee, Auditor-General, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 58.

[33]      Legislative Council of Victoria, Submission 5, p. 4.

[34]      Legislative Council of Victoria, Submission 5, p. 4.

[35]      Legislative Council of Victoria, Submission 5, p. 4.

[36]      Commonwealth Ombudsman, Submission 9, p. 5.

[37]      Commonwealth Ombudsman, Submission 9, p. 5.

[38]      Commonwealth Ombudsman, Submission 9, p. 6.

[39]      Ms Lynn Lovelock, New South Wales Legislative Council, Submission 6, p. 5.

Australian Greens and Senator Xenophon's Dissenting Report

[1]        Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee, Inquiry into Independent Arbitration of Public Interest Immunity Claims, p. 21.

[2]        Senator Ludlam and Associate Professor Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 43.

[3]        See Mr Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, pp 47–8; Mr Tunnecliffe, Clerk of the Legislative Council, Victoria, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 13; Ms Lovelock, Clerk of the Parliaments, NSW, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 28. 

[4]        Mr Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 47.

[5]        Associate Professor Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 39.

[6]        Mr Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, pp 50-51.

[7]        Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee, Inquiry into Independent Arbitration of Public Interest Immunity Claims, p. 20.

[8]        Senate Committee on Privileges, Parliamentary Privileges Amendment (Enforcement of Lawful Orders) Bill 1994, 49^th Report, September 1994, p. 8.

[9]        Legislative Council of Victoria, Submission 5, p. 2.

[10]      Mr Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 50.

[11]      ANAO, Audit Report No.38 2000-01, The Use of Confidentiality Provisions in Commonwealth Contracts, May 2001, p. 47.

[12]      ANAO, Audit Report No.6 2009–10, Confidentiality in Government Contracts - Senate Order for Departmental and Agency Contracts (Calendar Year 2008 Compliance), September 2009, p. 15.

[13]      ANAO, Audit Report No.6 2009–10, Confidentiality in Government Contracts - Senate Order for Departmental and Agency Contracts (Calendar Year 2008 Compliance), September 2009, p. 15.

[14]      ANAO, Audit Report No.6 2009–10, Confidentiality in Government Contracts - Senate Order for Departmental and Agency Contracts (Calendar Year 2008 Compliance), September 2009, p. 36.

[15]      Associate Professor Twomey, private capacity, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 41.

[16]      Mr Evans, former Clerk of the Senate, Committee Hansard, 7 December 2009, p. 47.