Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Just because this was raised by the Manager of Opposition Business, we won't be moving amendments to this nation. But the question of the proper oversight of this parliament and of the government, given that parliamentary sittings have been cancelled, is a very, very important one. A number of members of the crossbench raised with the government and the opposition that they need to have a joint committee with a non-government chair. A big part of the reason for that is that, given the House is not sitting, there will not be a forum between now and August when House based government ministers will be accountable or responsive to other members of parliament. In other words, there is going to be no question time and there is going to be no capacity to debate motions. Of course, ministers based in the House can and often do refuse to appear before Senate committees. Usually when Senate committees are sitting, that is happening whilst the House is also sitting. So there are forums for that accountability to happen.

I will certainly be making further contributions during the course of the day about the importance of transparency and oversight. It is disappointing that there hasn't been agreement from others to a joint committee, or to two joint committees, that could have been chaired by non-government members—which could have, in effect, stood in while parliament is not sitting. It is disappointing that that's not the case. It's something that we will, and may, pursue further in the Senate, and I will pursue it further in the later contributions, but I don't intend to stand in the way of this motion being put now.

Question agreed to.

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