Senator Varun Ghosh – Estimates questions relating to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s contract with Hue Consulting

May 31, 2024

I’d like to go back to the engagement of Hue Consulting. Are you able to give the committee some more details about the materials that Hue Consulting was engaged to prepare?

CHAIR: Senator Ghosh, you have the call.

Senator GHOSH: Thank you to the commissioners, the president and the CEO for being here today. I’d like to go back to the engagement of Hue Consulting. Are you able to give the committee some more details about the materials that Hue Consulting was engaged to prepare?

Ms Smith: Under the National Anti-Racism Strategy, one of the projects that the race team and our new race commissioner are committed to delivering is anti-racism materials for primary school students. One of the reasons for Hue Consulting being selected for that contract was that they had already produced similar materials for high school students that the commission had reviewed and found to be appropriate and of high quality. They had also demonstrated value for money in the commission, in the sense that there was a track record and there were materials for a slightly older audience of children. That was the basis for entering into the contract with Hue.

Senator GHOSH: Are you aware of allegations that have been raised that one of the founders of Hue, Ms Elsa Tuet-Rosenberg, distributed the doxxed details of Jewish creatives?

Ms Smith: We are aware of that allegation, yes.

Senator GHOSH: When did you become aware of that allegation?

Ms Smith: When it entered the public domain and was brought to our attention.

Senator GHOSH: When was that?

Ms Smith: I don’t that have date in front of me. May I take that on notice?

Senator GHOSH: Of course. Are you aware that Ms Tuet-Rosenberg had shared comments on her social media which could be described as offensive to large sections of the Australian community?

Ms Smith: We are aware that concerns were raised, and I do understand that concerns were raised through our National Information Service.

Senator GHOSH: When did you become aware of those concerns about that matter?

Ms Smith: As I said, it was once it had entered the public domain through the media; that’s when it was brought to our attention. We don’t have an ability to track the social media activity of our contractors, so it was brought to our attention once it was in the public sphere.

Senator GHOSH: Are you able to take on notice when that was?

Ms Smith: Yes.

Senator GHOSH: Based on what you said earlier, those matters came to your attention after you’d engaged Hue.

Ms Smith: It was in the first quarter of this calendar year that we were made aware. The contract was entered into in October last year. I do have that date. I think it was 21 March that we became aware.

Senator GHOSH: Of both?

Ms Smith: Of the public media activity.

Senator GHOSH: That’s in relation to both the distribution of doxxed details and the social media comments?

Ms Smith: I’ll give you the final answer on notice, but both issues were raised, I think, in the media around that date.

Link to Parliamentary Hansard