Thread by @BelindaJones68

For those ppl following the #sportsrorts scandal - Phil Gaetjens is appearing now before the Senate Select Committee into the Administration of Sports Grants

You can watch live here: aph.gov.au/news_and_event…

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#auspol

Phil Gaetjens has just confirmed to #sportsrorts inquiry that he didn't check if Bridget McKenzie acted lawfully- he says it wasn't his job (it was)- says it was Attorney General's (but the AG didn't check McKenzie was acting lawfully)

He says he saw no need to check
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#auspol

Discussing proper use of caretaker conventions at #sportsrorts inquiry & $40 million being approved AFTER caretaker

Sen Katy Gallagher @SenKatyG: "Do you think the allocation of $40 million after caretaker had kicked in is in adherence with the caretaker conventions?"
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#auspol

Stephanie Foster (PM&C): (long pause) "Senator, as Mr Gaetjens has said, we, um, have not...ar..... reviewed that"

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#auspol #sportsrorts

Gallagher: "Oh, come on. You are the Prime Minister & Cabinet, you're the central agency, the head of the public service, the one that sets the standard & you're telling me that no one has had a look at this? Mr Gaetjens what on earth is going on? ...."
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#auspol

Gallagher: "....How can ppl have trust in this if this is the way your Dept is going to handle potential breaches of caretaker conventions? It's a pretty easy question: Is the determining & allocating of $40 million after caretaker ......"

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#auspol #sportsrorts

Gallagher: "....starts adhering to the caretaker conventions?"

Phil Gaetjens: "That would... I've said before in terms of the context, the scale, the sensitivity, again that would be a point of context and the portfolio ...."
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#auspol #sportsrorts

Gaetjens: "...would be the ones to actually examine it."

Gallagher: "Oh come on. So your message to Ministerial staff & the public service is spend away, no problem?"

Gaetjens: "That's not my message at all Senator, that's your comment"

Gallagher: "OK"
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#auspol #sportsrorts

https://twitter.com/janet_rice/status/1285754111401443328?s=20