Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present the revised program of sittings for 2023. Copies of the program are being placed on the table. Can we get those on the table, please—the extra copies.

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

The Leader of the House, they're available to circulate.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. That's happening. I move:

That the revised program of sittings be agreed to.

In summary, in the week of Senate budget estimates, we won't be sitting. On the final day of Senate only, which is 7 December: realistically, we were probably going to be brought back anyway, so we've listed that as a formal sitting day with a question time. I'd advise members that, as often happens in the final day of the year, it is often the case that that Senate sitting goes very late, so, even though it's the seventh that is scheduled as a sitting day, I would advise members it's worthwhile staying in Canberra and being here for at least the morning of the eighth.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do need to make the point, on behalf of the opposition, that this is a government that came to power promising transparency and accountability, and they've been systematically finding opportunities to reduce the number of parliamentary sitting days on a repeated number of occasions, and they're doing it again. This is a reduction of four days of question time, to be replaced with just one. This is entirely inconsistent with what this government promised the Australian people—what the Labor Party promised the Australian people when they came to this place—and it's part of a dismal pattern of trying to avoid accountability, avoid scrutiny and, frankly, avoid turning up to work when they should be here.

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

The Minister for Resources will cease interjecting.

Question agreed to.