Legislative Council Thursday 22 November, 2018

Ms FORREST  question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

During the last term of the Hodgman Liberal Government from 2014 to March 2018 -

(1)  Did the then minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, Hon. Rene Hidding MP, have any meetings or communications with any members or lobbyists of the Shooting Industry Foundation of Australia - SIFA? 

(a)   If so, where and when were the meetings between the then minister and representatives, members or lobbyists for SIFA held?

(b)  What written or digital communications occurred between the then minister and/or his officers or representatives and members or representatives of SIFA, and what was the nature of these communications?

(2)  Despite the fact that the Tasmanian division of the Liberal Party discloses donations received in accordance with the Australian Electoral Commission requirements that apply to political candidates and parties, did then minister Hidding receive any funding at all or in-kind support towards the 2018 election campaign?  If so, how much?

ANSWER

Mr President, I thank the member for Murchison for her questions.

(1)  Following a meeting with a representative of the Tasmanian Deer Advisory Committee who introduced a representative of SIFA, the former minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management invited the SIFA representative to attend meetings of the consultative committee.  All subsequent meetings with a representative of SIFA were conducted as part of the formal consultative committee meeting.  There was no engagement between the former minister and SIFA outside the consultative committee.

(2)  As previously advised, this is a matter for the Tasmanian division of the Liberal Party which discloses donations received in accordance with the Australian Electoral Commission requirements that apply to political candidates and parties.