The Perth Mint will face renewed scrutiny after the Federal Parliament agreed to a motion put forward by Liberal senator Dean Smith to form a new investigative committee.
The committee will lead an inquiry that will cover a wide range of matters relating to the mint and its compliance with industry laws and regulations.
A report is expected by 13 December, with the investigation to be led by seven senators – three from the opposition, two from Labour, one from the Greens, and one from the crossbench.
The committee has already faced opposition, with Finance Minister Katy Gallagher suggesting that it will be a redundant process given other unfolding investigations.
“AUSTRAC and the WA government are taking these matters seriously, as are we,” she said.
“The senator [Dean Smith] knows this motion will not only duplicate this effort but also risks compromising these independent investigations. We do not support a motion that is driven by state politics that would disrespect and undermine due process.”
A spokesperson for the Perth Mint told ABC News it would cooperate with all requests made by the federal committee.
“We continue to actively engage with the regulator and are progressing a comprehensive, fully funded remediation program to strengthen our systems and processes,” the spokesperson said.
The operations of the Perth Mint are overseen by the Gold Corporation. Jason Waters CEO resigned from his role in May.
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