WHY WON’T CASH PRODUCE DOCUMENTS?

Minister Cash has refused to produce documents in response to two separate Senate Orders, claiming that to do so might influence a police investigation.  The Minister must now answer the question – what does she have to hide?

 

The Minister has claimed that revealing communication between her office and the Prime Minister’s office about the Registered Organisations Commission raid on the AWU – and her office leaking to the media about it – would prejudice a police investigation.  Is this an admission that the AFP are investigating what role the Prime Minister’s office had in the leak?

 

The nature and type of documents that the Minister has refused to provide because she claims they could interfere with the AFP investigation into the leak are truly staggering.  They include:

 

Question Time briefs created between 20 October 2017 and 26 October 2017 relating to the ROC or the AWU.

All correspondence to the Minister from the Registered Organisation Commission to the Minister about any investigation.

All correspondence to the Minister from the Fair Work Commission General Manager about any investigation.

Phone records for the Minister and nominated staff between 20 October 2017 and 30 October 2017.

Records of resignations, terminations and advertisements for jobs in the Minister’s office.

Records of messages between the Minister and her staff between 9 am on 23 October 2017 and 11 pm on 27 October 2017 which refer to the ROC investigation of the AWU.

Documents relating to the offer of employment in the Ministers Office to the FWO Director of Media and his subsequent decision not to take up the job.

 

The Minister must explain how each of these documents could prejudice the AFP investigation. 

 

Is the Minister claiming that she is a potential witness or avenue of inquiry? 

 

Is the Minister claiming that information in Question Time briefs prepared for the Prime Minister could disclose an AFP line of inquiry?

 

On what basis could correspondence between the ROC and the Minister, or the FWC General Manager and the Minister, about inquiries other than the one into the AWU, prejudice the AFP inquiry?  What is there that the Minister does not want the public to see?

 

This refusal to produce documents to the Senate is part of a pattern.  Yesterday, Buzzfeed reported that, in refusing to hand over communication between the Minister, her office and the FWO media director, the Minister’s office asserted that to release relevant information might influence a police investigation.

 

It is obvious that Michaelia Cash is clutching at straws now in a desperate attempt to cover up her office’s involvement in this scandal.

If she had nothing to worry about, Minister Cash would release the documents.

 

The integrity of the Government is shot. How can anyone believe anything this Minister ever says?