12th Feb 2020, 4:01 PM – Senate Motions - Leader of the Government in the Senate - Senator McKenzie

The majority voted against a motion introduced by SA Senator Penny Wong (Labor), which means it failed.

Motion text

That—

(1) The Senate notes that:

(a) on 5 February 2020, the Senate ordered the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann, to table the final report provided by the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Mr Phillip Gaetjens, to the Prime Minister in relation to the application of the Statement of Ministerial Standards to the former Minister for Sport, the Honourable Senator McKenzie's, award of funding under the Community Sport Infrastructure Program;

(b) on 6 February 2020, the Minister representing the Prime Minister tabled a letter making a public interest immunity claim grounded in the preservation of the confidentiality of cabinet deliberations,

(c) the document is a final report prepared outside of the Cabinet Room and has no capacity to reveal deliberations inside the Cabinet Room; and

(d) the Senate does not accept the public interest immunity claim made by the Minister representing the Prime Minister.

(2) Until the final report provided by the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Mr Phillip Gaetjens, to the Prime Minister in relation to the application of the Statement of Ministerial Standards to the former Minister for Sport, the Honourable Senator McKenzie's, award of funding under the Community Sport Infrastructure Program, is tabled, or 6 March 2020, whichever is the earlier, Senator Cormann be prevented from:

(a) being asked or answering questions which may be put to ministers under standing order 72(1) where such questions are directed to the Minister representing the Prime Minister;

(b) representing the Prime Minister before a legislative and general purpose standing committee, including during consideration of estimates; and

(c) sitting at the seat at the table in the Senate chamber that is ordinarily reserved for the Leader of the Government in Senate.