Kate Lundy (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

In adding to my earlier comments, it is clear that the phone calls to notify on these questions have been placed through to the portfolio minister, but I understood the reasonable practice, so ministers knew to be prepared for the question and to be available to respond to it, was to call the minister who took the questions at the Senate estimates committee. It is clear, and I am not judging it, that that has not happened in this case, and that is contributing to the fact that the ministers are not present. They are no doubt preoccupied, and had no prior warning. I would just like to make that comment and refer you to my earlier comments in this discussion this afternoon.