Labor will go to extraordinary lengths to keep secret a controversial job report for federal government spouses, after taking control of the Senate last week and threatening roll calls to attend question time.
After winning the 2022 elections, the Albanese government commissioned the former Australian Commissioner Service Commander to review the appointment processes for government boards.
it Terms of Engagement limited to public sector appointments. The report is not intended to reflect current appointments or appointment processes related to individuals.
Started in February 2023, the final review report was given by the government in August 2023 but has not yet been made public. It is expected to be published in late 2023.
Finance and Public Service minister Katy Gallagher said the report was still being considered by cabinet.
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But the secrecy of the Briggs findings has angered crossbenchers in Parliament, including ACT Senator David Pocock. Last week he moved a motion to change the orders of the Senate to add more questions until the government senators stop scrutinizing the government.
That move, supported by the coalition and greens, led to an hour of marathon questioning and retaliation through Tuesday seeking to force attendance at roll calls.
Gallagher said in the Senate last week that the Briggs report will be released “when that work is done” and other non-government senators on the government’s unjustified documents.
Figures cited by Labor suggest in the 1990s, the Keating Government received 53 orders in the Senate to produce documents, compared to 336 in the most recent term of parliament.
On Wednesday, Gallagher offered a closed-door presentation of the findings of the Finance and Public Administration Committee report and said the report would be released before the end of the year, if required by a Senate order.
The briefing will include “a verbal review” of the findings and an opportunity for committee members to ask questions.
“This warning will allow me as the responsible minister to provide an update to the Senate and act as an interim measure to address the order while the report remains in cabinet,” Gallagher said.
The shadow of the affairs of the house, liberal Jonathan Duniam, moved a change to return the longer format for the question time if the government does not give a report by 31 December.
“We want the document to be tabled and to make sure it is delivered as the government promised it would be,” he said.
Pocock sought to pass the deadline of 24 November, Monday in the last week of the parliamentary session of the year, to stop the government from “burying the report in the pre-Christmas session.
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He blasted liberal and national senators for voting on jobs on Wednesday.
“The coalition gave Labor a get-out-of-jail-free card and didn’t interfere with the Senate’s success in holding the government of the day accountable.
“Given the Senate’s rejection of the government’s claim to the cabinet, it is a loss for transparency and against the will of the people who sent us here.
“The silver lining is the increased scrutiny brought to bear on Australian politics and the deals they make to try and preserve the status quo.”
The Question of the Senate Question more than three hours last Thursday, which led to some riotous scenes. This week labor accused some senators of often skipping question time, to go to the parliamentary gym or work in their offices. But labour’s proposal to hold a roll call for attendance was soundly defeated.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Crossbench senators wanted to improve government processes and provide transparency.
“There is a reason why this report was issued in the first place. Because there is a problem, there is a perception that the jobs are for spouses,” he said.
Labor is also tackling its plans to curb transparency through freedom of information, an unpopular plan discussed in the lower house this week.