MEDIA RELEASE - HUSIC FAILS TRANSPARENCY TEST ON $1B PSIQUANTUM DEAL

PAUL FLETCHER MP 

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy 

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts 

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 4 October 2024

Minister for Science Ed Husic has failed to comply with a Senate Order for the Production of Documents (OPD) regarding Labor’s almost one-billion-dollar PsiQuantum deal, continuing a pattern of poor transparency and scrutiny around this controversial investment. 

The documents were due at midday today. The information requested included advice from the Commonwealth Chief Scientist to the Minister ranging from 29 August 2022 and 7 September 2023; the assessment of the PsiQuantum Expression of Interest market testing applications for the expression of interest round that closed in September 2023; and the 2022 draft National Quantum Strategy.

Shadow Minister for Science Paul Fletcher said the PsiQuantum deal and its unorthodox process raises serious questions which the Albanese Labor Government has refused to answer.

“Failing to comply with an OPD deadline is very serious, with the Minister showing contempt for parliament,” Mr Fletcher said.

“Evidence unearthed during Senate Estimates and through freedom of information requests reveals this deal to be a captain’s pick, with a reverse engineered process designed to benefit one American company.

“I reiterate my call for a parliamentary inquiry to get to the bottom of this investment and find out what went wrong and who is responsible.

“Ed Husic says he welcomes more scrutiny. He had the opportunity to honour his word by sharing the information requested but failed to do so. It’s disappointing and Australians deserve better.”