Name: Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee [Part 1]
Uploaded: 2026-06-02T22:48:00+00:00

12:39 - 15:31

Speaker 37

Good morning, everyone. Good to see you all back. Now I'd like to declare open this meeting of the senate foreign affairs defense and trade legislation committee. Again, just wanted to acknowledge the traditional traditional custodians of land on which we are meeting today and pay my respect to their elders past, present, and emerging. As we are in continuation with the Department of Defense, I just wanted to recap a few things from yesterday.

Just a reminder that the committee has set the June 12 as the deadline for senators to submit written questions on notice, and the committee has set the July 24 as the date for the return of any answers to questions taken on notice. Just a reminder, for witnesses, in giving evidence that you are protected by parliamentary privilege, but it is also contempted to give false or misleading evidence to a committee. As you'd be aware that we've... The senate has also endorsed, a test relevance of questions at estimates hearings, being that any questions going to the operations or financial positions of departments and agencies which are seeking funding estimates are relevant questions for the purpose of estimate hearings. Remind all officers that the senate has resolved that there are no areas in connection with the expenditure of public funds where any person has a discretion to withhold details or explanations from the parliament or its committees unless the parliament has expressly provided otherwise.

The senate has also resolved that an officer of a department of the Commonwealth shall not be asked to give opinions on matters of of policy and shall be given reasonable opportunity to refer questions to a superior officer or to a minister. And this resolution prohibits only questions asking for opinions on matters of policy and does not preclude questions asking for explanations of policies or factual questions about when and how policies were adopted. And, again, I'll also incorporate into the hand side an order of the senate on the 05/13/2009 specifying the process by which a claim of public interest immunity should be raised. Now just a reminder that, microphones remain live unless I'm struck otherwise. Also, I remind the senators of the obligations under the behavior code for parliamentarians to treat witnesses with dignity, courtesy, fairness, and respect.

Also, tell me a reminder to put your phones on silent like mine. And if there are any members of the media, please follow the established media guidelines. And anyone who's in the gallery, welcome. You are not permitted to speak or interfere with the proceedings or with any witness at any point during today's hearing. Now on that note, we'll recommence with representatives from the Department of Defense, and good morning to senator the honorable Jenny McAllister who's representing the minister for for defense.

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