TRANSCRIPT – INTERVIEW WITH GARY ADSHEAD, 6PR

Transcripts

Senator Dean Smith Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Liberal Senator for Western Australia TRANSCRIPT – INTERVIEW WITH GARY ADSHEAD, 6PR 28 July 2023 E&OE GARY ADSHEAD: There is an inquiry, you’re probably aware, into Perth Mint. Dean Smith, the Senator, got up an inquiry, a select committee within the Senate. Now it’s held its first hearing. It’s due to come here next week. The Senator joins me on the line. Thanks for your time, Senator. DEAN SMITH: Good morning, Gary. GARY ADSHEAD: I’ll start, if you don’t mind, there was an exchange yesterday, it was Senator Dorinda Cox. She had sort of been leading into questions with some of the officials you had before you, and she talked about some of the concerns around Perth Mint. And then I think you’ll hear, Senator Glenn Sterle, of course, from WA. He also tunes in, let’s have a listen to this because it was quite a statement. [EXCERPT FROM HEARING PLAYED] GARY ADSHEAD: Is that new information, Senator, or is it some of the stuff that we’ve heard? DEAN SMITH: Gary, it’s not knowledge that I have. Not at all. And they wouldn’t have been comments that I would’ve made in my capacity as chair of the committee. I think it is important to note that as the committee hearing went on Senator Cox did come back and clarify her remarks. But they were not comments or knowledge that I have. It’s really important that when we conduct this inquiry, and this is what I’ve said to colleagues, that we do it in a spirit of bipartisanship because we are dealing with the domestic and international reputation of Perth Mint and the Gold Corp, and that’s very important for WA’s standing here in Australia but also internationally. So, I wouldn’t have made those remarks. GARY ADSHEAD: It sounds like new information the way it was put. It was like, I have information, in other words, you know, separate information to perhaps some of what was alluded to by the Four Corners Program that sort of kicked this all off. DEAN SMITH: So, it is available, it’s absolutely available to Senator Cox to bring that before the committee, at a private meeting or a public hearing. But I just note also, and I think this was reported in The West Australian, that she did clarify those remarks as the hearing went on yesterday. Senator Cox is free to make her own statements and act in her own way as a Greens Senator for Western Australia. But I’m particularly keen to make sure that the matters that were drawn to our attention yesterday by the Reserve Bank of Australia, which gave evidence in camera, by AUSTRAC officials themselves, that we don’t lose sight that at the beginning of this inquiry, rather than as the former Premier remarked it being a storm in a teacup, I think it’s starting to look like the tip of an iceberg. GARY ADSHEAD: Alright. Well, just on that, you, you did have AUSTRAC officials in the room yesterday and the Australian Crime Commission, et cetera. Now, the AUSTRAC official that you had there, Mr Brown, he confirmed that the audit that was being done, through an independent source, but requested by AUSTRAC, has been finished. DEAN SMITH: It has, and you might remember that, in August 2022, AUSTRAC ordered an independent auditor be appointed to investigate compliance matters with Gold Corporation. That independent audit report was due within 180 days. At the Senate estimates hearing earlier in the year, I discovered that report had only been partially provided to AUSTRAC. An extension was provided and very, very curiously that final report was provided to AUSTRAC by the independent auditor on the evening of Friday the 21st of July. Late in the evening. So that is just one new bit of information, in addition to other information, that leads me to think, or just reconfirms my concerns, that there is more to see here than we are being told by Gold Corp and by the West Australian State Government. It was interesting in the evidence that the acting deputy CEO of AUSTRAC, so not a junior official, a very senior official, my conclusions from his remarks was that their interest in Gold Corp dates back to an audit report that Gold Corp did in August 2020. So rather than this being an inquiry about recent events, I think what we’ve seen in the evidence that AUSTRAC officials gave yesterday that there’s deeper considerations and deeper interest in this that we might first have realised. Next week, the committee will meet again and it will have a private meeting and publish some of the submissions that it has received. That’ll give West Australians and others who are taking an interest in this further insight into what has happened now. GARY ADSHEAD: So what you’re alluding to there, I think, was the AUSTRAC official talking about how their concern was around, and their worry was around some of Perth Mint’s customers, quote unquote, customers, and that that’s what sort of prompted this further audit being done independently of AUSTRAC. Does that worry you? DEAN SMITH: Well, what we’re focusing on here is that Australia has an important role to play in combating money laundering activities generally, and in evidence that we got from the Attorney General’s Department and others, it’s clear that Australia is falling behind in its international obligations. So here we have a significant transactor, bullion and, you know, gold bullion is a particularly important commodity. What we are narrowing down here is have those anti-money laundering compliance obligations been met by Gold Corp. If they haven’t been met, why haven’t they been met? And I think every West Australian, every listener to your program needs to be on high alert, because if AUSTRAC imposes financial penalties on Gold Corporation, that is a cost to the West Australian taxpayer, because Gold Corporation is owned by the…

MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS FOLLOWING FIRST HEARING OF PERTH MINT INQUIRY

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Senator Dean Smith Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Liberal Senator for Western Australia MEDIA RELEASE 27 July 2023 MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS FOLLOWING FIRST HEARING OF PERTH MINT INQUIRY Reports delivered at one minute to midnight, no indication of a timeframe for resolution, or whether financial penalties will apply at the taxpayers’ expense were all revealed at the first hearing of a Senate probe into The Perth Mint and Australia’s anti-money laundering regime. Witnesses giving evidence in Canberra included some members of the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce, the Reserve Bank of Australia, Attorney-General’s Department and AUSTRAC. The RBA gave its evidence privately ‘in camera’ – with only Inquiry members and officials present. The hearing was chaired by Senator Dean Smith, who secured Greens and crossbench support to launch the Inquiry in June. Senator Smith noted two observations from the WA Auditor General’s October 2022 report Compliance Frameworks for Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-terrorism Financing Obligations – firstly that non-compliance with obligations risked reputational damage and financial consequences to the State, and secondly that two entities had failed to resolve past issues identified by AUSTRAC. Asked if these were all characteristics of Gold Corporation, which runs The Perth Mint, the AUSTRAC representative noted that was an assumption that could be made. Significantly, AUSTRAC told the hearing it was unable to give a timeframe for finalisation of the Gold Corporation matter. And it would not rule out the possibility of financial repercussions for the State-owned business, the cost of which may ultimately be borne by WA taxpayers. AUSTRAC did reinforce its expectation that any findings of non-compliance should be shared at the highest levels of an organisation, including its risk and audit committee, board and chairman, and that this would apply to Gold Corporation like it would any other operator. Senator Smith also queried whether the independent auditor’s report into Gold Corporation ordered by AUSTRAC was received on time, as it appeared the report was submitted a day late – and on a Saturday. AUSTRAC clarified it was received after midnight in Canberra, meaning shortly before deadline in WA, despite an extension of time having already been granted. WA Senators Dorinda Cox, who is the Inquiry’s Deputy Chair, Linda Reynolds, Fatima Payman and Glenn Sterle also participated. A date for a public hearing in Perth, at which The Perth Mint is expected to be called as a witness, will be set in coming days. Submissions to the Inquiry close on 1 August and it is due to report by 13 December. Comments attributable to Senator Dean Smith: “Today’s hearing raised more questions than it answered in terms of how long The Perth Mint matter could last and how much it could cost the people of WA.” “AUSTRAC especially made it very clear that the bar is set high when it comes to compliance and that standard absolutely applies to Gold Corporation.” “Getting to the bottom of what did or did not happen at The Mint is essential to WA’s national and international reputation.” “The Inquiry, which includes my WA Senate colleagues from across the Parliament, will continue to work in a bipartisan way to give this issue the close scrutiny it deserves.” “When the Inquiry moves to Perth, I expect the full co-operation of Gold Corporation and the WA Government – right up to Premier Roger Cook.” ENDS

LABOR REFUSES TO RELEASE GST DOCUMENTS REQUESTED UNDER FOI

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Senator Dean Smith Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Liberal Senator for Western Australia MEDIA RELEASE 14 July 2023 LABOR REFUSES TO RELEASE GST DOCUMENTS REQUESTED UNDER FOI Treasurer Jim Chalmers is again showing up Anthony Albanese’s much vaunted commitment to accountability and transparency in Government by refusing to release hundreds of pages of documents relating to GST discussions between the States and Federal Government. “The Treasurer is failing to meet the most basic transparency requirements and has flaunted the Freedom of Information process since March this year when my office first made a request regarding details of the GST distribution system,” Senator Dean Smith said. Treasury officials confirmed during Senate Estimates that 91 new FOI requests were received between 1 January and 30 April 2023, but 8 were not finalised within the statutory timeframe of 30 days and one was not finalised within 30 days of the due date. On 28 June, the Treasurer’s office issued a ‘practical refusal grounds’ to Senator Smith’s request, blocking the release of more than 500 pages of documents on the basis it would place an unreasonable burden on his “small number of office staff” and that it would “substantially and unreasonably interfere with the performance of the Minister’s functions”. The recent announcement confirming WA’s AAA credit rating was, predictably, met with a barrage of complaints from State Premiers and Treasurers about WA’s GST deal. “Documents that my office managed to source through other Senate information gathering processes confirm that the GST system has been discussed at meetings between State Treasurers and the Federal Treasurer since the election of the Albanese Government,” Senator Smith said. In a letter to the Federal Treasurer on 30 January 2023, the ACT Chief Minister confirmed the GST “no-worse off guarantee” had been discussed at the Council on Federal Financial Relations (CFFR) on 9 September 2022, and asked for a “process and timeframe for resolution of this issue” be discussed at the next meeting of the CFFR. “The use of Freedom on Information laws and other Senate information gathering processes have become more necessary than ever after Labor changed the rules governing the Council on Federal Financial Relations in December last year, making all its discussions and documents confidential,” Senator Smith said. “Western Australians have a right to know what secret deals the Albanese Government might be hatching with other States in order to meet their demands for greater GST funding. “WA’s Federal Labor representatives cannot allow our GST win to be whittled away with secret side deals, potentially robbing WA of its fair share of funding for roads, hospitals and vital infrastructure.” ENDS

LABOR TALKFEST CONTINUES WHILE AUSTRALIAN CHARITIES WAIT FOR REAL RESULTS

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Senator Dean Smith Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Liberal Senator for Western Australia MEDIA RELEASE 11 July 2023 LABOR TALKFEST CONTINUES WHILE AUSTRALIAN CHARITIES WAIT FOR REAL RESULTS Another round of charities town hall meetings is being held by the Albanese Government while it neglects key decisions affecting the Australian charity and non-profit sector. Charities Minister Andrew Leigh is in Perth today for the first of the meetings, with more advertised in Brisbane, Devonport and Adelaide later this week. Labor says the town halls follow on from “successful meetings with charities last year”, but Opposition charities spokesman Senator Dean Smith said there’s no tangible evidence they achieved meaningful results. “Andrew Leigh is far more interested in concepts than delivery when comes to backing our charities and non-profits,” Senator Smith said. “Labor acknowledges the sector is under pressure, then proceeds to waste a week by holding meetings instead of taking the urgent, practical action required. “What more proof does the Albanese Government need that the sector is facing unprecedented demand that’s growing by the day?” Senator Smith said it was particularly disappointing given Labor still hasn’t announced a new advisory board for the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. EOI applications for the board opened in October 2022 and the Charities Minister, who is responsible for making the appointments, was provided a short list in January this year. “Six months have now passed since this landed on Andrew Leigh’s desk,” Senator Smith said. “Now we have another round of town halls, more talking, and no action from Labor where it really counts. “Applicants for board positions, and the sector generally, deserved an answer a long time ago – they need clarity more than ever and they’re not getting it from the Albanese Government.” Responding to Andrew Leigh’s media release today that noted “we have initiated a Productivity Commission review of philanthropy” and “started work on a Blueprint for strengthening the capacity and capability of Australian charities”, Senator Smith said Labor had only begun work on this after he raised it in Question Time on 8 February. “Part of these initiatives were an election commitment to the sector, but that didn’t stop Labor dragging its heels for months,” Senator Smith said. “And we still haven’t actually seen the blueprint that Andrew Leigh talks about. “Australia’s charities and non-profit sector represents almost a tenth of the economy, it’s a major employer, and it’s literally keeping Australians alive in the Albanese Government’s cost of living crisis. “Our charities are at the coalface of this crisis and the least Labor could do is provide them with some concrete results.” ENDS

Charities the hidden face of Australia’s Cost of Living Crisis

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Senator Dean Smith Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Liberal Senator for Western Australia Angie Bell MP Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education Shadow Minister for Youth Federal Member for Moncrieff Aaron Violi MP Federal Member for Casey MEDIA RELEASE 4 July 2023 CHARITIES THE HIDDEN FACE OF AUSTRALIA’S COST OF LIVING CRISIS Charities from the Dandenongs to the Gold Coast have described themselves as the ‘hidden face’ of the Albanese Government’s cost-of-living crisis. Operators said they are facing record demand for their services against a backdrop of inflation, rising rents and reduced donations. Charities and non-profits shared these experiences during visits by Shadow Assistant Minister for Charities Senator Dean Smith to the Federal electorates of Casey and Moncrieff. The visits are aimed at supporting Coalition Members’ engagement with their local charities, as well as gauging the capacity and resilience of the sector nationally. In Casey, Federal Member Aaron Violi MP and Senator Smith visited homelessness support service Holy Fools and emergency food relief provider Discovery Community Care, after calling into The Mustard Tree Op Shop and Café in Lilydale. Sales at The Mustard Tree, run by the Lilydale Baptist Church, fund its wide-reaching charity work, including food, clothing and shelter for those in need. Another catering operator doing important work is Tasty Az, a social enterprise providing cooking, job and life skills to people living with a disability, and where Mr Violi and Senator Smith helped make a batch of scones for afternoon tea. The visit ended with a round table meeting with representatives of Anchor Community Care, Cire Community Hubs and Healesville Inter-Church Community Care. Senator Smith said the work being done by local charities was inspiring. “The support being provided to so many people, whatever their needs, is remarkable when you consider the economic environment charities are currently operating in,” Senator Smith said. “The feedback is clear, there are more clients than ever before, but overheads are up and donations are down – it’s a very challenging space to be working in. “We heard anecdotal evidence that increasing rents are forcing charities out of the premises they need to run their activities.” Mr Violi said locals in need were supported by a charity and non-profit sector that is second to none. “Casey is incredibly lucky to be home to such a dedicated, diverse and highly organised charities presence, doing everything possible to support those who are struggling,” Mr Violi said. “But providing these services is far from easy at the moment, with many local charities facing unprecedented demand. The Mustard Tree told us it experienced its busiest month ever in May 2023.” Travelling to Queensland’s Gold Coast, Senator Smith participated in a dynamic round table organised by Ms Angie Bell MP at the Broadbeach Senior Citizens Centre. Among the charities and non-profits that generously gave both their time and input were St John’s Crisis Centre, Volunteering Gold Coast and Gold Coast Hospital Foundation, which supports the work of Australia’s busiest emergency department. Rosie’s Friends on The Street, Hope Starts Here, The Migrant Centre, Serving Our People and branches of the local Rotary and Lions Clubs were also around the table, covering services from assisting new arrivals to Australia with getting drivers licences and other essentials, to running a free supermarket so those experiencing food stress can get their groceries in a stigma-free manner. Ms Bell said that Moncrieff has a proud history of volunteering and supporting those in need, with local charities and community organisations actively working together to meet demand. “Gold Coasters are feeling the full impact of this cost-of-living crisis and our local charities and community organisations are going above and beyond to provide support,” Ms Bell said. “Moncrieff charities are out there doing important work, supporting the most vulnerable in our community. Friends with Dignity have furnished hundreds of homes for domestic violence survivors, St John’s Crisis Centre are offering a hand up to those who are struggling with homelessness and the Carrara Lions Club have their own grants programs to make a small but meaningful difference within our community.” Senator Smith said although feedback about a lack of new volunteers across Casey and Moncrieff was consistent with elsewhere in Australia, it was encouraging to hear some representatives say they are seeing an uptick in interest from young people. “But it’s a shame that, while charities and their volunteer bases work so hard to meet their obligations, the Albanese Government is not,” Senator Smith said. “Labor doesn’t just owe it to Australians to be better economic managers, get inflation in check, and relieve the pain of its cost-of-living crisis – it owes it to our charities.” “It’s a blessing that communities like those in Casey and Moncrieff have the outstanding charity sectors they do, and that they are so well advocated for by Aaron Violi and Angie Bell. ENDS