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Taxpayers have now forked out at least $1.2 million to cover the costs of a police inquiry into leaked information pertaining to raids on the headquarters of the Australian Workers' Union. But documents newly released to the Senate show a litany of Liberal staffers refused to give statements to the Australian Federal Police and the two ministers involved - Small Business Minister Michaelia Cash and Human Services Minister Michael Keenan - took five weeks to provide a written response to investigators. The documents reveal the AFP investigation cost taxpayers $340,000, including officers' hours, supplier expenses and external legal costs, over the 16 months to February this year. The true cost is not known as the figure does not include executives' hours or AFP Legal members' hours. Taxpayers have also paid $288,000 for Senator Cash's legal expenses and at least $550,000 in legal bills for the government's union watchdog, the Registered Organisations Commission, which was embroiled in the scandal. In total, the costs have reached $1.2 million. The police probe - which did not yield any charges - related to raids on the Melbourne offices of the Australian Workers' Union in October 2017. News of the imminent raids was leaked to the media by Senator Cash's former staffer David De Garis, resulting in TV cameras being in place to document the event. The raids were conducted to look for documents relating to donations the union made to activist group GetUp in the 2005/06 financial year when Labor leader Bill Shorten was the union's secretary. It was revealed at a Senate estimates inquiry that Senator Cash and Mr Keenan refused to be interviewed by the AFP in relation to the leaks, and twice refused to provide formal witness statements. Public prosecutors received a brief of evidence from the AFP but felt there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction and declined to press charges. The documents were provided in response to questions on notice from Labor senators Murray Watt and Louise Pratt. SMH/The Age

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