Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee

Gerard Rennick

I move:

(1) That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) that on 9 October 2024 the Senate ordered the Minister representing the Treasurer to table the government response to the final report of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee on bank closures in regional Australia (order no. 653), and

(ii) in a letter of response, dated 29 October 2024, the Assistant Treasurer stated that 'there are no documents in scope of the order';

(b) affirms that the Senate has the power, arising from section 49 of the Constitution, to order documents both in existence and created for the purpose, a view endorsed by the Privileges Committee in its 153rd report;

(c) draws the attention of the Assistant Treasurer to the many orders requiring the production of government responses to Senate committee reports, including most recently an order requiring the production of the government response to the interim report of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee on the shutdown of the 3G mobile network, which was complied with on 19 August 2024; and

(d) insists that the Minister representing the Treasurer comply with the order by midday on 25 November 2024.

(2) That if the above order is not complied with by the required time, a senator may utilise the mechanism provided under standing order 164(3) on any subsequent day regardless of whether the 30 day period referred to in that standing order has passed.

Sue Lines

The question is that general business notice of motion No. 667 standing in the name of Senator Rennick be agreed to.