"Is it correct then that you've also never spoken to Mr De Garis about whether he discussed either the plan to leak, or the action of leaking, with any other ministerial office, including the prime minister's?" Labor senator Murray Watt asked Cash at the Employment Committee 28 days ago.



"What I'm asking is whether you ever asked him or spoke to him about whether he discussed this matter with anyone else in your office?"

Watts also asked whether anyone else from the minister's office had left since the leaks were revealed. BuzzFeed News revealed last month that four people, including the media adviser who worked alongside De Garis, have left since October.

Cash has refused to answer other questions from the same hearing with the claim of public interest immunity. She also blamed the ongoing AFP investigation and impending Federal Court challenge into the legality of the raids lodged by the AWU as reasons for her silence.



The answers to the 11 questions were due on January 19, so are now 28 days overdue.

On Thursday, Cash gave the media nine minutes notice that she was holding a press conference, her first in Canberra since August 10. In the last six months she has only held one other press conference, in Perth on January 18.

She called the press conference to talk about the latest labour force figures, and became annoyed with journalists when asked about the raids.