Coalition Must Support Senate Investigation

072.09

4 August 2009

Coalition must support Senate investigation

The Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Chris Evans, said today that the Government will move to refer to the Senate Privileges Committee matters relating to the testimony of Treasury official, Mr Godwin Grech before the Senate Economics Legislation Committee in June.

The matter relates to whether the Committee was misled in the course of its hearing.

Serious allegations have arisen that the principal witness at that hearing, Mr Godwin Grech, may have misled the Economics Committee in his evidence.
"Given the events of the last 24 hours and the findings of the Auditor-General, the Coalition must support a new reference to the Senate Privileges Committee of these very serious matters," Senator Evans said.

An earlier motion to refer the issue to the Senate Privileges Committee was defeated on 25 June after the Coalition and Senator Fielding voted against it.

Media Contact:
Simon Dowding
(08) 9481 4844 or
0411 138 541

SOURCE: Leader of the Government in the Senate