Senior Adviser’s Late Edits Prompt Concerns Over Bipartisan AI Letter

Documents obtained by *Guardian Australia* show that a senior adviser in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office made multiple edits to a bipartisan AI-policy letter drafted by a parliamentary committee. The adviser marked several passages as “fine” and completed the final changes as late as 8:55 p.m., just 35 minutes before Labor MP and inquiry chair Jo Briskey and Liberal senator Jonno Duniam sent the letter on behalf of Labor, Coalition and cross-bench MPs.

The Guardian

The letter, which raises issues of copyright, AI safeguards, sovereign capability and AI literacy, was transmitted to the prime minister on the evening of the same day. Senator David Pocock, an independent member of the committee, submitted his own edits at 9:55 p.m., unaware the letter had already been dispatched. Jo Briskey indicated the correspondence was intended to signal the committee’s direction ahead of its final report due 30 November.

The Guardian

Briskey rejected claims that the committee’s work was predetermined, stating that both the Albanese and opposition leaders’ offices had been consulted before the letter’s release. Senator Duniam echoed this view, asserting there was “no guidance, no interference” with the committee’s work.

The Guardian

Senator Pocock expressed alarm that the prime minister’s office had pre-vetted the recommendations, limiting the chair’s opportunity to consider changes. Pocock also warned that the committee’s work appeared to serve a political purpose rather than genuine parliamentary scrutiny.

The Guardian

• “I[’ll] tell you who would be the first person out of the blocks to criticise the government if the prime minister wasn’t showing interest in the committee’s work: it would be me,” — Jonno Duniam, senator

The Guardian