Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry) Share this | Hansard source

I appreciate the answer. If the information is provided to me as soon as it has been checked, I will be more than happy. I am concerned that it not be dragged out, because there is an unfortunate record here of a very large number of questions from this department not being provided to the committee within the designated time. At the last estimates, I had to go through the situation where material was provided to me on the day of the estimates or the day before the estimates, which was well in excess of the time that had been allotted for the return of questions on notice. In this particular case, I have absolutely no doubt that Mr Burmester gave me those undertakings. I checked this on several occasions, and I was told on several occasions that the officers were still working on it. I would have thought, given that I am not unknown to the officers, that if there had been a problem I would have been advised of it.

I have taken this opportunity to draw the minister’s attention to this difficulty and to draw to the attention of the departmental officers that I am not going to be taken for granted in this way. I do not think the opposition should be treated in this way. We are entitled to information. This is a very simple request. I take your commitment on the basis on which it has been offered. If that information is provided to me as soon as it is available, I will be only too grateful.

Bill agreed to.

Bill reported without amendment; report adopted.