THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
COALITION BLOCKS MONIS INQUIRY
Coalition members of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee must agree to an urgent inquiry into why a letter from Man Haron Monis, sent to the Attorney-General nine weeks before the Lindt Cafe siege in Sydney, was withheld from a review into the tragedy.
Last week, Labor and the Greens requested a further Estimates hearing to inquire into why the letter, dated 7 October 2014, was not provided to a joint Federal-NSW review into the Lindt Cafe siege.
The hearing is required to inquire into why it took a week for the Abbott Government, in particular Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Attorney-General George Brandis, to correct the record after it told the committee that a copy of the letter had been provided.
But despite the request being made, Government members on the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee have even delayed any discussion about scheduling a hearing, let alone conducting a hearing itself.
And Queensland Liberal-National Party Senator Ian Macdonald Chair of the Committee has claimed the issue has been thoroughly canvassed.
The Government is seeking to avoid a further Estimates hearing in relation to its handling of the Monis letter, Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus QC said.
It is clear that the Government is seeking to avoid proper scrutiny of this.
The Government must facilitate a hearing of the Committee, and provide full co-operation, or stand accused of a cover-up of a cover-up.
Labor will keep pursuing this issue and force the Government to answer questions on this matter.
FRIDAY, 12 JUNE 2015
