Government Defends Delay In Tabling FLA Integrity Commission Report

The Government is rejecting claims that Parliament is withholding an Integrity Commission report on the Firearm Licensing Authority to shield information from the public. The report was submitted to Parliament on March 30, 2026, and formally received at 10:02 p.m., but it remained untabled 53 days later.

Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson defended the handling of the matter, saying Parliament would not be pressured into acting outside its internal process. Parliament has said five Integrity Commission reports were received, four of which have already been tabled. The outstanding report, linked to alleged irregularities at the FLA, is being considered by the presiding officers in consultation with the Clerk to the Houses and Parliament’s legal advisers.

Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives Floyd Green said there was “no attempt at suppression” and “no attempt at hiding anything”. He argued that Parliament must consider whether tabling the report could prejudice or frustrate active court proceedings connected to it.

Green cited the 2017 Ian Hayles matter, saying Parliament previously delayed tabling a report after being advised that court action had started, before an injunction was eventually granted. He said the same principle was being applied in the current FLA matter, even though no injunction has been issued.

Critics have argued that Parliament is sovereign and should table the report, especially given the public interest in transparency. Senior attorney Michael Hylton, KC, has also pointed to the Integrity Commission Act, which says reports “shall” be submitted for tabling. Green responded that the law does not set a fixed timeline and that reasonableness must take account of the court process.

He said the matter was expected to return before the court next week, after which the presiding officers would reassess whether tabling the report could still interfere with proceedings. Green said if there is no legal barrier, he expects the report to move forward for tabling.

The delay has deepened public concern because the four tabled reports relate to failure to file statutory deductions, while the untabled FLA report is understood to involve more serious allegations of corruption and irregularities.