A parliamentary committee is threatening to compel Malcolm Turnbull to give evidence on his decision to hand $443.3 million to a small Great Barrier Reef charity unless he appears voluntarily.
The Senate’s environment and communications committee could not force a House of Representatives MP to appear before it, but can summons the former prime minister after he officially resigns his seat on Friday.
Committee chairman Peter Whish-Wilson said Mr Turnbull would be required to give evidence on his April 9 private meeting with Great Barrier Reef Foundation chairman John Schubert and the then environment minister, Josh Frydenberg, when he told the charity it would receive the money without going through a tender process.
