With reference to the answer to question on notice no. 1362 (Senate Hansard, 14 May 2009, p. 2963), concerning the release of the chartering report handed to the Minister in June 2008:

(1)   Have the four agencies considering this report completed their assessment and decided whether further action is required?

(2)   When did the Minister last communicate with those four agencies about this matter?

(3)   What are the names of those four agencies?

(4)   Will the report now be released; if not, when?

(1)   The Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Federal Police, the Victoria Police and the Australian Securities Investments Commission have formally advised Wheat Exports Australia that they have completed their assessments and no further action is required.

(2)   The then Export Wheat Commission (now Wheat Exports Australia) made the decision to refer the report to the four agencies. Accordingly, it is Wheat Exports Australia that has been communicating with the four agencies about this matter.

(3)   The four agencies are the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Federal Police, the Victoria Police and the Australian Securities Investments Commission.

(4)   The report was subject to a request, and subsequently a decision, by Wheat Exports Australia (WEA) under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act). A decision was made that substantial parts of the report contained exempt material, including confidential information and information subject to legal professional privilege. WEA released a copy of the report to the applicant with all exempt material deleted in accordance with the FOI Act on 20 January 2010. I consider that it would be inappropriate to release the full report in view of the WEA decision. Those sections of the report that WEA was able to release are available upon request.