Department of Parliamentary Services secretary Rob Stefanic was questioned during Senate estimates in May 2024 about his former deputy secretary.
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00:00 Were you ever in a, there are a number of articles here, two articles I've got,
00:05 reports of a relationship between the two top public servants within the department.
00:10 Were you ever in a romantic relationship with Ms Saunders prior to appointing her?
00:15 Senator, I think what I might address, I guess the elephant in the room,
00:20 in recent weeks I've had to endure inquiries and media reports
00:25 reflecting adverse to my integrity,
00:30 reports based on malicious and gossip-laden information.
00:35 I've endured repeated violation of my personal privacy based on an alleged public interest.
00:40 I'll readily address questions about my integrity, as is relevant to public confidence in my role
00:45 as a Parliamentary Service Leader. However, respectfully, I'm not prepared to subject
00:50 further my family members to further personal privacy intrusions.
00:55 Between your salary and Ms Saunders' salary, it's almost a million dollars a year.
01:00 I think the public has a right to know about what's happening in that relationship.
01:05 A million dollars is not a little amount of money.
01:10 I would contend, Senator, it's somewhat short of a million dollars.
01:15 $870,000 plus to...
01:20 I can assure you, Senator, as I have unsuccessfully
01:25 tried to communicate to members of the media that
01:30 I have taken all reasonable steps to manage and declare
01:35 any conflicts of interest as has been appropriate.
01:40 I believe integrity and the principles of integrity
01:45 follow DPS are critical to public confidence.
01:50 I understand more than most that the intense scrutiny by parliamentarians and the media
01:55 that my department experiences and the necessity for accountability and
02:00 integrity. And to my mind, the perceptions of conflict
02:05 are just as important as actual conflict.
02:10 So I want to give you assurance, Senator, that I have acted appropriately at all times.
02:15 Mr Stefanik, with respect, you haven't actually answered the question. Were you in a romantic
02:20 relationship with Ms Saunders while you were her boss?
02:25 Senator, as I have mentioned, I'm not prepared. If I open
02:30 the discussion of my privacy, it becomes a further matter for speculation
02:35 and discussion. I've endured that for quite some years.
02:40 This is actually not new. As I've said,
02:45 my privacy has already been considerably violated
02:50 in this process. And I really am not prepared to
02:55 entertain any questions that
03:00 speak to my personal privacy. As I said,
03:05 Senator, I am willing to answer any questions in relation to my integrity.
03:10 And to that end, I will do so.
03:15 You still haven't answered the question. I understand your perspective that it raises
03:20 more questions. But if you answer that question, yes or no,
03:25 it ends it right there. So what's the answer?
03:30 If you are being inconvenienced, hurt, by continuing questioning,
03:35 just put an end to it. Taxpayers have a right to know what's going on in the Department of
03:40 Parliamentary Services.
03:45 (Clears throat)
03:50 (Whispers)
03:55 To that end, I will give you
04:00 a simple answer, Senator, and that is no.