Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ON NOTICE
Supplementary Budget Estimates 15-18 October 2012
Prime Minister and Cabinet Portfolio
Department/Agency: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Outcome/Program: 1.1.2 National Security and International Policy Topic: Reforms to National Security Legislation - Briefing to PM
Senator: Senator Ludlam
Question reference number: 37
Type of Question: FPA, P111
Date set by the committee for the return of answer: 30 November 2012

SENATE STANDING COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT
Group 3
Program 1.6
Question No. 26
Senator Ludlam asked the following question at the hearing on 16 October 2012:

Senator LUDLAM (Western Australia) (17:14): I would like to add some words on behalf of the Australian Greens team and add our condolences on the passing of former Deputy Prime Minister Lionel Bowen. I have enjoyed listening to the words of Senators Faulkner and Carr in describing the friendships that have lasted through this extraordinary political career. Looking back at the words used to describe Mr Bowen, they are not words often associated with politics. Apart from being described as died-in-the-wool Labor he is described as being unassuming, as self effacing, as modest.

(Question No. 1517)
Senator Ludlam asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 19 January 2012:
(1) What financial contributions, if any, have each of the following government agencies or departments provided to the Lowy Institute for International Policy in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 (to date) financial years:
(a) Australian Federal Police;
(b) Attorney-General's Department;
(c) Australian Security Intelligence Organisation; and
(d) Australian Export Finance and Insurance Corporation.
(2) On what basis were such financial contributions made

Senators Ludlam and Rhiannon asked the following question at the hearing on 14 February 2012:
Senator LUDLAM: ... I have a follow-up to one of Senator Wright's questions about NOSIC and your slightly creepy consultancy with them. You talked in a bit of detail about open source reporting. Would you consider somebody setting up a fake Facebook account as open source? Do they do that kind of thing?
Mr Negus: I would have to take that on notice. I do not have the detail about whether that would be captured or not; I just do not know.

The Australian Greens today condemned the looming expulsion of Australian freelance journalist Austin Mackell from Egypt and the detention of his colleagues.

Greens communications spokesperson WA Senator Scott Ludlam said the arrests Mr Mackell, journalist Aliya Alwi, student Derek Ludovici and labour activist Kamal Fayoumi were yet another attempt by the military junta in Egypt to silence opposition.

The Greens today encouraged all efforts by the Australian Government to secure the release of Australian journalist Austin Mackell and his colleagues from custody in Egypt.

Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said the Greens "are completely behind the Government doing all it can to guarantee the release and safety of Mr Mackell, translator Aliya Alwi and American student Derek Ludovici".

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters, Senators for Western Australia Rachel Siewert and Scott Ludlam, and Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt spoke to the media about the Australian Greens National Conference in Fremantle, WA.

Topics included the allocation of preferences, the environmental threats posed by developments in the Kimberley, and the Nationals' call for a "discussion paper" on coal seam gas. 

Senator Ludlam spoke to the media about Julian Assange's court appearance that resulted in a lost appeal against extradition to Sweden.