Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Oh, they have a bit of a glitch with the legislative program, have they? That is why the minister is simply not answering this. I just want to say to anyone who might be listening to or watching this debate, we are in the committee stage of the debate. That is the stage of the debate where you go through the legislation line by line and you ask the minister to explain it. You ask for the facts to support it. You ask questions. In every other instance I have ever experienced in my long time in the Senate, ministers have got up and tried their best to answer questions.

The minister claimed that he had answered my questions. I have the Hansard from last night, Minister, and I would like you to identify for me, if you could, where in Hansard you answered my questions from last night. You make the bland statement, so typical of the Labor Party, that, ‘I have answered them.’ But when I look at the hard-copy Hansard of last night I cannot see anywhere where you even attempted to answer the questions I asked last night. You had some very serious and legitimate questions from Senator Back, Senator Fisher and Senator Cormann and you simply refused to answer them. Adding to your arrogance and ignorance, you turn your back and talk to others while we are addressing questions to you.

You waved some papers around and said, ‘These papers are on the website, but I have some here,’ so I got the attendant to get these papers for me. People who are listening to the debate who have a vital interest in the questions we are asking unfortunately cannot see the papers you waved around. But I have the papers that you waved around. I assume they list the people you say are exempted. They say the item for those who are exempted from the payment covers an individual if they are eligible for an Australian government disaster recovery payment under part 2.24 of the Social Security Act and the individual receives that payment by 30 June 2012. They then goes on to list individuals affected by a disaster declared under national disaster relief arrangements. The first item says the item covers an individual if a declaration is made under the national disaster recovery and relief arrangements.

Minister, you have a department of several thousands of people—a dozen of whom are sitting in the chamber assisting you. Why can’t you assist the Senate, those questioners and the people of Australia who have an interest in these questions by answering Senator Fisher? Are the communities she has mentioned subject to that declaration or are they not? It is a pretty simple question. You have a dozen advisers—highly paid public servants—sitting there advising you.