THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
MEDIA RELEASE
BRANDIS ADMITS ROYAL COMMISSION INTO TRADE UNIONS DID NOT SEEK EXTENSION
Attorney-General Senator Brandis has admitted that the Abbott Government granted an extension of time and funding to the Trade Union Royal Commission despite not being asked to, under questioning last night in Senate Estimates.
SENATOR COLLINS: Yes. Minister, you referred to one small excerpt of the letter that is public. Is there a reason why a range of other references that suggest that the letter is neither an application to widen the terms of reference nor an application to extend the reporting date have not been referred to?
SENATOR BRANDIS: Yes, because that is not the point I was making. The point I was making is that the government made the decision to extend the Royal Commission.
[Attorney-General Budget Estimates 20 November 2014 link to video]
In October the Government extended the reporting time, terms of reference and gave additional funding to this Royal Commission.
At the time Senator Brandis attempted to conceal the lack of a specific request by refusing to discuss the letter he received from Royal Commissioner Dyson Heydon.
That letter made clear the Royal Commissioner did not ask for any extension:
This letter is neither an application to widen the terms of reference nor an application to extend the reporting date.
The extension did not and will not change what this Royal Commission is a desperate and shameless misuse of executive power for the Abbott Governments own political advantage.
Senator Brandis has consistently refused to justify his decision to provide additional taxpayers money , in the face of clear evidence that the Royal Commission did not request it.
Any criminal behaviour, whether in a union or in a private company should be a matter for the police to investigate, not a matter for politicians.
Earlier this year, following a specific request for a two year extension the Government took more than two months to agree to additional funding for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
FRIDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2014
