PM’s department boss ordered to front Senate Estimates over social media ban request

Key points

• The Senate has voted to direct Steven Kennedy, Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, to attend a Senate Estimates hearing in two weeks. He must explain why senior public servants want their hearing evidence kept off social media.
• Opposition Senate leader Michaelia Cash moved the motion, saying parliamentary hearings should be widely shared. It is not yet clear whether Labor will comply with the directive.
• Separately, Senator David Pocock has accused the Prime Minister's office of heavily vetting a letter from a parliamentary AI committee, which the committee chair and deputy chair have denied.