16th Oct 2023, 3:50 PM – Senate Documents - Special Purpose Flights - Order for the Production of Documents

The majority voted against an amendment to NSW Senator David Shoebridge's motion, which means it failed and the original motion will remain unchanged.

Amendment text

Omit all words after "That the Senate", substitute: notes that:

(a) the Senate agreed in order for the production of documents no. 309 that:

(i) security agencies are best placed to complete threat assessments in relation to the security of parliamentarians and their families, and

(ii) the Minister for Defence must comply with the order to the extent that such information can be provided consistent with the advice from security agencies;

(b) the status of order for the production of documents no. 309, as recorded in the document compiled by the Department of the Senate, is "Order complied with"; and

(c) consistent with order for the production of documents no. 311, the Government has provided a copy of the revised draft Special Purpose Aircraft (SPA) Guidelines to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security along with a confidential briefing with agencies that informed the changes to the SPA Guidelines.

Original motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the response from the Minister for Defence to order for the production of documents no. 309, relating to Special Purpose Aircraft guidelines, did not include a copy of the draft 2023 Special Purpose Aircraft guidelines; and

(b) requires the Minister representing the Minister for Defence to attend the Senate, after motions to take note of answers on Tuesday, 17 October 2023, to provide an explanation of not more than 5 minutes of the failure to table the draft 2023 guidelines, and that:

(i) any senator may move to take note of the explanation; and

(ii) any such motion may be debated for no longer than 30 minutes, shall have precedence over all other business until determined, and senators may speak to the motion for not more than 5 minutes each.