Andrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, three weeks ago I stood to ask you to write to the Treasurer about why he hadn't answered questions 512 and 516 within the required time frame. Those questions relate to the government's mismanagement of the JobKeeper scheme and their waste of some $13 billion. Given that the Treasurer has continued his secretive approach, refusing to respond to your letter, I would ask that you write to him again.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

( No; I'll just say to the member that I'll certainly do that, if the member for Fenner can return to the dispatch box and confirm that the numbers on the questions—hang on, I'm not saying I'll do that. The questions he's referring to are the ones from three weeks ago?

Andrew Leigh (Fenner, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They are indeed: 512 and 516.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's good; I'm glad you can recall that. I think I said at the time that the letters were being prepared as you spoke. I signed them when I returned to my office and, no, I'm actually not going to keep writing each time. It's been a reasonable period of time and there's a time limit for which you can do that. I have already written to the Treasurer, and they're there in his office. You raised it after a certain period of time, and I'm just not sure, once you've done that, that I should be writing to him constantly at this point in time.

Mr Burke interjecting—

The Manager of Opposition Business?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, can I just ask you to reflect on that?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sure.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reason for those letters being sent is that it is believed by the House, in the standing orders, to be important that questions can be put on the Notice Paper and receive a reply.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm well aware of that.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. The only way the House can pressure a minister, when a minister is failing to respect the House by replying, is to ask again. Otherwise, the whole purpose—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know, but the point I'm making—and I'm just going to cut to the chase very quickly—is that I think we've all dealt with questions on notice. You, as a minister, would have had all of that. Unless you're going to stand at the dispatch box and say you never had one that you hadn't answered within the required time—

Mr Burke interjecting—

Yes, okay—well, there you go. I have written to—

Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Perfect!

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, not perfect, member for Bruce—that's very dangerous! That's very dangerous ground; it's very rarely perfect, if I can just give you some guidance. The point I'm making is that I wrote three weeks ago and I'm not going to get into the habit of writing every day, or every two days or whatever at this point in time. I think the member for Fenner has made his point. I'm not saying that I won't write again, but, certainly, in the whole time that I have been Speaker, I haven't had anyone say, 'I asked you to write three weeks ago and I still haven't got a reply. Can you do it again?' That's where the member for Fenner is trying to break new ground, but he's not going to at this point.

Dr Leigh interjecting—

I couldn't understand what you said, but don't take your mask off to clarify, please!