He said no cabinet documents could be provided, but admitted there would be others that should have been tabled in the upper house.
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“My opinion when it comes to SO52 [an order of parliament] is that any documents that must be provided legally must be provided as soon as possible,” Perrottet said.
“The dates are set and must be met.”
The Barilaro controversy has continued to overshadow Perrottet’s first business trip as prime minister, which he admitted was a disappointment.
Graham said the government was unnecessarily delaying the release of the documents.
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“The government has not been able to produce one of the key documents that showed why John Barilaro got the job,” Graham said.
“They’ve managed to produce press releases from 2020, but they’ve missed the former Nationals leader’s job application and resume.”
Mr Graham said the opposition had been forced to “take the rare step of recalling Parliament to help end government obstruction”.
“Our preference is for the government to comply with the law and hand over the documents. But without them, the inquiry is stuck having to put together a puzzle without all the pieces,” he said.
Perrottet also said he saw no reason for Trade Minister Stuart Ayres to be called to the upper house inquiry looking into Barilaro’s appointment because an independent inquiry was underway.
The opposition wants Ayres to give evidence to the investigation because he is the responsible minister. Perrottet had already said that he would not appear.
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