Report

Report

1.1      On 11 January 2010 the President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. John Hogg, received a submission from the Rev. Vicki Dunstan, President, Church of Scientology Australia seeking redress under the resolution of the Senate of 25 February 1988 relating to the protection of persons referred to in the Senate (Privilege Resolution 5).

1.2      The submission referred to comments made by Senator Xenophon in the Senate on 17 November 2009. The President, having accepted the submission as a submission for the purposes of the resolution, referred it to the Committee of Privileges on 1 February 2010.

1.3      On 1 February 2010 the President of the Senate, received further correspondence from the Rev. Vicki Dunstan enclosing further material with the request that it be added to her original submission of 11 January 2010. The President referred the further correspondence to the Committee of Privileges on the same day.

1.4      The Committee met in private session on 4 February 2010 and, pursuant to paragraph (3) of Privilege Resolution 5, decided to consider the submission and the additional correspondence. The Committee resolved to recommend that the initial response of 5 January 2010 be incorporated in Hansard in full and without change.

1.5      In accordance with paragraph (8) of Privilege Resolution 5, the Committee resolved not to recommend that the additional material provided on 1 February be incorporated in Hansard.  In considering the submission, the committee did not find it necessary to confer with the person making the submission nor with the Senator concerned.

1.6      The committee draws attention to paragraph 5(6) of the resolution which requires that, in considering a submission under this resolution and reporting to the Senate, the committee shall not consider or judge the truth of any statements made in the Senate or of the submission.

1.7      The committee recommends:

That a response by Vicki Dunstan, President Church of Scientology Australia in the terms specified at Appendix One, be incorporated in Hansard.

 

George Brandis
Chair

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