Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The only point I was making was that we are, in contrast to the previous government, working through these matters. Some of them are complex. This government does take its position seriously in answering all of those questions on notice and providing responses. As I have indicated, a range of answers have already been tabled. There are a range of questions which are across portfolios and which will need some further time to gain the information to be able to table answers to them. Some will require cross-portfolio coordination in order to be able to provide a response. As my last contribution to this debate, it does concern me that it is a little bit unusual for the opposition to raise this so close to the date. Usually a little more notice is given to allow the government to provide an explanation, which is usually readily accepted by the opposition, so that we can provide a coordinated approach. It seems to be that, when the opposition were in government, they did not take the matter as seriously as we do.