Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to make a personal explanation. The member for Bradfield has misrepresented my actions as minister in today's media.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Please proceed.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In today's Herald Sun, the opposition whip, the member for Bradfield, said that he was worried that Services Australia and I were not providing answers to questions on notice asked by the opposition. He went on to say that they were going to grill the government today in Senate estimates. The Senate estimates session, however, has come and gone and no coalition senator raised it. But just to put the opposition member's mind at ease, the opposition has asked over 900 questions on notice in my portfolio. Every one of them has been answered. In fact, my staff have answered 8½ thousand matters to do with Services Australia since being elected, some 22,000 matters all up in our portfolios. Furthermore, we have handled over 500 matters directly from opposition members. I will finish on this note: opposition members raised legitimate issues about Services Australia and matters to do with their electorates, but it is very hard to fix your problems when the member for Bradfield keeps wasting our time.