Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment Participation, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I also rise in support of the motion moved by our leader, Senator Minchin. This is an extraordinarily secretive government. This is a government that was elected on the promise of increased accountability and transparency. Everything was going to change on the election of the Rudd Labor government. Instead what we have experienced again and again is secretive government. I have experienced it myself as the chair of the Select Committee on Fuel and Energy. You would know very well, Mr Acting Deputy President Hutchins, how for months and months we were trying to get hold of a copy of modelling that had been commissioned by the government and was held by the Treasury. We were wanting to get access to some information that was critically important for us to scrutinise the government’s flawed emissions trading scheme.

Now here is yet another example. Here is Minister Conroy completely mismanaging his portfolio. In fact, if I were Minister Conroy I would start worrying about the shadow of Greg Combet coming in from behind. Look at the track record of this government in the communications portfolio. The shadow of Greg Combet I can see is starting to worry the minister. Look at him.