Report

Report

1.1      On 7 April 2010 the President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. John Hogg, received a submission from Mr Geordie Guy, board member, Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc. on behalf of the board members of Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc. 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 in the Senate by Senator Conroy, both orally and in a tabled document, in response to questions by Senators Boyce and Collins during questions without notice on 15 and 16 March 2010. The President, having accepted the submission as a submission for the purposes of the resolution, referred it to the Committee of Privileges on 9 April 2010.

1.3      The Committee met in private session on 13 May 2010 and, pursuant to paragraph (3) of Privilege Resolution 5, decided to consider the submission.

1.4      The committee noted that the comments to which Mr Guy was responding were primarily located in a document which was tabled in the Senate, but not incorporated in Hansard.

1.5      The committee contacted Mr Guy advising that it would consider publishing his submission if the tabled document to which he was referring was also incorporated in Hansard. Mr Guy agreed to this course of action.

1.6      The committee again considered the matter in private session on 17 June 2010 and resolved to recommend that the document titled "Summary of Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA)" tabled by Senator Conroy on 16 March 2010 and the submission of 7 April 2010 by Mr Guy, be published together in Hansard in full and without change.

1.7      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.

1.8      The committee recommends:

  1. that the document "Summary of Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA)" (see Appendix One) tabled in the Senate by Senator Conroy on 16 March 2010 be incorporated in Hansard; and

  2. that the response by Mr Geordie Guy, board member, Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc., on behalf of the board members of Electronic Frontiers Australia Inc. in the terms specified at Appendix Two, be incorporated in Hansard.

Senator David Johnston

Chair

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