Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Senate estimates is essentially an opposition forum and we have seen that eroded. In fact, Senator Faulkner, one of the substantial figures of this chamber, has always said that estimates is an opposition forum. So I cite no higher authority than Senator Faulkner on this matter. I think it is important that we return Senate estimates to being an opposition forum—to being what they should be, which is one of the great accountability mechan­isms not just of this parliament but of parliaments worldwide. Our estimates committee process is recognised as one of the best and one of the most robust accounta­bility mechanisms in any parliament and we need to reinforce that. I think this realloca­tion of portfolio responsibilities between committees is yet another subtle undermi­ning of the role that our committee system should play.

We have seen this pattern over the life of this government. We saw it with the carbon tax legislation. It was bad enough that that legislation was presented to this parliament by a government which formed office on the back of a lie—that was bad enough. What was also outrageous was the fact that this Senate denied that package of legislation the opportunity for scrutiny by the committees of the Senate. Legislation of such signifi­cance has always gone to Senate committees. The goods and services tax legislation and the A New Tax System package of legisla­tion went through multiple Senate committ­ees simultaneously for the best part of six months, yet that economically significant package of carbon tax legislation was denied the opportunity for that scrutiny. That is just another example of where the various forums of this parliament are continually undermi­ned by this government in subtle and not so subtle ways. We are seeing this here again.

We have another curious element to this motion: the reallocation of arts and sport to the rural and regional affairs portfolio. Minister Arbib, who is in the chamber, is the Minister for Sport, and when I look at him I do not see a regional figure—I have to say that. I do not think regional when I look at Minister Arbib, the sports minister.