Documents seized by the Australian Federal Police in raids on Parliament House should remain sealed and be returned to the Labor Party, according to a powerful parliamentary committee.
The House of Representatives Privileges and Members' Interests Committee on Monday handed down a report, which found the documents relating to leaks from the National Broadband Network are protected by parliamentary privilege.
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Federal police: NBN raid documents sealed
Documents obtained in police raids on Labor Senator Stephen Conroy will be sealed until after the election after parliamentary privilege is claimed, police announce. Courtesy ABC News 24.
The findings apply to documents seized by the AFP from a staff member for former Labor communications spokesman Jason Clare in Parliament House raids in August. Mr Clare claimed parliamentary privilege at the time and the documents were placed under seal by the Clerk of the House of Representatives.
Documents seized from the home of a Labor staffer and the office of former communications spokesman Stephen Conroy during the federal election campaign are subject to a separate inquiry.
The committee found the documents were protected by privilege because they were likely to be relevant to Mr Clare's work as shadow communications spokesman.
"In these circumstances, the committee considers that it is likely that the records of the member seized under the search warrant, which are specified as relating to the NBN, would relate to his parliamentary responsibilities," the committee's final report states.
The committee, which includes six Coalition and five Labor members, found parliamentary privilege was of "fundamental importance" to how MPs do their jobs and must be protected.
All the material seized by the AFP on August 24 should be returned to Mr Clare, the committee found.
Parliament will vote on whether to adopt the committee's recommendation.
The initial raids were sparked by the publication of reports, in Fairfax Media and other outlets, raising concerns about the NBN rollout based on confidential documents leaked from within NBN Co.
Mr Conroy, who has left the Senate, has vowed to continue his fight to stop police accessing the documents seized during the election campaign because "fundamental issues" were at stake.