Ag Secretary's absence stokes rumours

A statement from the Department on Tuesday said Dr Grimes was currently on leave, but noted it “does not comment on an individual's leave arrangements”.

In Dr Grime’s absence, Phillip Glyde will be acting Secretary.

It’s understood tensions between the Secretary and Mr Joyce have been strained since Dr Grimes was first appointed to replace Andrew Metcalfe shortly after the 2013 federal election.

The Abbott government sacked Mr Metcalfe after nine months in the job, despite his strong performance in the role. Mr Joyce only learned of the snap move after it was announced by Prime Minister Tony Abbott. It’s believed that sacking decision was linked to concerns within Mr Abbott’s office related to Mr Metcalfe’s time as Immigration Department Secretary and asylum seeker policy issues, rather than agricultural policy.

As the former Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Secretary, Dr Grimes is understood to clash with Mr Joyce over key views on environmental issues.

One government source - who asked not be named - said the working relationship between Dr Grimes and Mr Joyce had escalated to the point where it was now “untenable”.

National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) president Brent Finlay said he was unaware of any personal issue that existed between Mr Joyce and Dr Grimes, but noted the capacity of the Department Secretary and Agriculture Minister to work together cohesively was “absolutely vital for Australian agriculture”.

“I don’t want to add fuel to the fire but I’ll be speaking to both of them to clarify what the true situation is,” he said.

Mr Finlay said he made regular personal contact with the Department and the Minister, and CEO Simon Talbot met with Dr Grimes and the Department monthly to address current business.

Last week, Dr Grimes was a notable absentee from the annual ABARES Outlook conference in Canberra, ahead of a specially convened Senate Estimates hearing on Thursday.

The unusual Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee hearing was requested when Dr Grimes wrote to Committee chair Senator Bill Heffernan and Senators Doug Cameron and Glenn Sterle.

Dr Grimes used the forum to defend his department’s handling of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, which was also thoroughly examined during additional Senate estimates hearings the prior week.

The FOI from Shadow Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgibbon’s office sought to disclose information on alleged improper Hansard changes made by the Minister’s office last October.

Mr Fitzgibbon has been vigorously pursuing Mr Joyce over allegations he misled parliament by changing Hansard over his response to a question on October 20 about drought support loans.

Ahead of the hearing, speculation suggested Dr Grimes could unveil critical information relating to the Minister’s knowledge of the issue – but significant new or conclusive evidence failed to materialise.

However, questions were taken on notice relating to details of contact between the Minister’s office and the Department from October 20 to 27 relating to the Hansard changes.

Senator Heffernan said in his view, the Department Secretary addressing a letter on Committee business to individuals, rather than the chair and Secretariat, without the Minister’s knowledge, was “a step over”.

“As a person from down in the bush, I think this is a bullshit process,” the Senator said.

“This is a storm in a teacup - all human endeavour includes mistakes,” he said.

“I do not know what the political game is but I am amazed that this has blown into some sort of an episode.

“I know where the beginnings are - the various start points - but not where the end point is.”

Senator Heffernan said he’d also gathered “reams” of examples in the last three weeks of Hansard changes, including whole paragraphs being changed, which “may be a wake-up call to everyone”.

“I do not think we should particularly go there,” he said. “I think everyone has the message.”

Mr Fitzgibbon said last week’s Senate hearing and “subsequent disappearance” of the Secretary “have raised more questions than have as yet been answered”.

“I think any reasonable person would find it difficult to believe that such extensive changes to Hansard were made without the knowledge or indeed involvement of the Minister,” he said.

“There are two key points – the first is that he (the Minister) attempted to mislead farmers by embellishing his original answer.

“But more importantly, it raises questions about whether he misled the House, which is the greatest crime in the parliamentary rule book.”

Mr Fitzgibbon said it was “obvious to any passing casual observer that the relationship between the Secretary and Minister has completely broken down”.

He said he remained concerned about how the minister’s office managed to persuade Hansard to make “substantial changes, well outside the guidelines” and how it also “ran such heavy interference” on his two FOI applications.

“Dr Grimes did two extraordinary things,” he said.

“He visited the Minister to express his concerns and he invited the chair to reconvene Senate estimates, which I’ve not seen happen before during my 19 years in parliament.

“This indicates a number of unanswered questions still exist.”

But last week Mr Joyce said the actions taken to pursue Mr Fitzgibbon’s accusations of impropriety around Hansard changes had amounted to “nothing”.

“The member for Hunter has been going around talking about some grand conspiracy - and this has been going on for quite a while,” he said.

“He talks about it as if it’s Watergate; he talks about it as if it’s the extra gunman from the grassy knoll; he talks about it as if it’s the riddle of the enigma machine.

“And then after the issue has been dealt with in the chamber, has been talked about during senate estimates, has been investigated by the speaker of the house and has an extra senate inquiry today – what have we got? Nothing.

“I don’t know what on earth the member for Hunter is banging on about.

“And I’ve come to the conclusion that the member for Hunter doesn’t know what the member for Hunter is banging on about.”

Mr Joyce also rejected suggestions he and Dr Grimes were experiencing conflict, given the unusual nature of the additional Senate Estimates hearing.

“I have an extremely warm and effective relationship with the Department that’s working with me in delivering the (Agricultural Competitiveness) White Paper and in delivering the Dams Taskforce,” Mr Joyce said.

“I have a very professional relationship (and) I’ve never ever been in a discussion with Dr Grimes where we have even so much as raised our voices.”

Mr Joyce told Fairfax Agricultural Media Dr Grimes was welcome to make contact and arrange a personal discussion about the issues raised via the extra estimates hearing. Dr Grimes declined to comment after last week’s Senate hearing.