Goods and Services Tax

Wendy Askew

At the request of Senator Dean Smith, I move:

That—

(a) there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Treasurer, by no later than midday on 20 February 2026, all written or digital correspondence, modelling, briefing notes, file notes, meeting notes, meeting agendas or minutes, budgets or other records of interaction in the possession of the Treasurer, their office or their department, from 1 May 2025 to 26 November 2025 relating to:

(i) distribution of the goods and services tax (GST), and

(ii) alternate methods or models of distributing fiscal resources generated through the imposition of the GST within the Australian federation; and

(b) the Senate requires that where a public interest immunity claim is made on the basis of prejudice to relations between the Commonwealth and the states, there shall be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Treasurer all correspondence between the Treasurer, their office or their department, and state or territory ministers, their offices or their departments, relating to the release of documents within the scope of this order.

Katy Gallagher

by leave—I move:

Omit all words after "that", substitute:

(a) orders for the production of documents is one of the Senate's most serious powers, and should be used when other processes have been exhausted rather than for fishing expeditions; and

(b) senators seeking to order the production of documents should consider paragraph (a) and refine their orders accordingly.

Sue Lines

The question is that the amendment moved by Senator Gallagher to general business notice of motion No. 304 be agreed to.