Report

1.         On 8 June 2006 the President of the Senate, Senator the Hon. Paul Calvert, received a submission from Mr Philip McNaughton, Mr C. Warwick John and Mr David W. Stewart, on behalf of the Exclusive Brethren, seeking redress under the resolution of the Senate of 25 February 1988 relating to the protection of persons referred to in the Senate (Privilege Resolution 5).

2.         The submission referred to the contents of a notice of motion given by Senator Bob Brown in the Senate on 9 May 2006. The President, having accepted the submission as a submission for the purposes of the resolution, referred it to the Committee of Privileges on 8 June 2006.

3.         The committee met in private session on 15 June 2006 and, pursuant to paragraph (3) of Privilege Resolution 5, decided to consider the submission. Also pursuant to paragraph (3) of Privilege Resolution 5, the committee conferred with the persons making the submission on the terms of the proposed response. The statement at Appendix One has been agreed to by the committee and the co-signatories as members of the Exclusive Brethren and on its behalf, in accordance with Resolution 5(7)(b).

4.         The committee draws attention to paragraph 5(6) of the resolution which requires that, in considering a submission under this resolution and reporting to the Senate, the committee shall not consider or judge the truth of any statements made in the Senate or of the submission.

5.         The committee recommends:

That a response by Mr Philip McNaughton, Mr C. Warwick John and Mr David W. Stewart on behalf of the Exclusive Brethren in the terms specified at Appendix One, be incorporated in Hansard.

John Faulkner
Chair

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