Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee
26 October 2026
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Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee Australian Parliament
10:47 - 12:14
Speaker 1
I declare open this hearing of the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee into the 2026-27 budget estimates. I begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet and pay respects to elders past, present and emerging. The committee has fixed Thursday 17 December 2026 as the date for the return of answers to questions taken on notice. The committee's proceedings today will begin with the corporate matters and general questions aspect of the Communications, Sports and Arts portfolio. Under standing order 26, the committee must take all evidence in public session and this includes answers to questions on notice.
I remind all witnesses that in giving evidence to the committee they are protected by parliamentary privilege.
It is unlawful for anyone to threaten or disadvantage a witness on account of evidence given to a committee, and such action may be treated by the Senate as a contempt. It is also a contempt to give false or misleading evidence. Senators endorse the following test of relevance of questions at estimates hearings: any questions going to the operations or financial positions of the departments or in agencies which are seeking funds in estimates are relevant for the purposes of estimates hearings. I remind officers that the Senate has resolved 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 or the Commonwealth should not be asked to give opinions on matters of policy and shall be given reasonable opportunity to refer questions asked to the officer to superior officers or to a minister. This resolution does not preclude questions asking for explanations of policies or factual questions about when and how policies were adopted.
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