Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

We know that the Howard government hates the Senate estimates process because it hates being held accountable. In fact, the minister at the table, the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, hates it more than most. His own department, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, has failed to provide answers to almost 700 questions—yes, you heard it right—put on notice during November 2006 and February 2007. Indeed, since November, the key government agencies responsible for Work Choices have refused to provide any information. The Office of the Employment Advocate, now known as the Workplace Authority, took 142 separate questions on notice and did not provide a single answer, and the Office of Workplace Services, now known as the Workplace Ombudsman, was asked 149 questions on notice and none were answered. But we know from evidence that most of these are sitting on the minister’s desk, covered up, because he does not want Australians to know the truth.

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