Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

What we have now witnessed is an extraordinary abuse of process within the Senate. We have a minister who has refused a return to order but, more importantly, has continued to ensure that the information that the Senate has requested will not be provided in any shape or form. That is what this minister has effectively told the Senate. When you go to the requirements, it is about fundamentally the accountability of a minister within this house. Without accountability in this house, what we have is a minister who can do anything, hide anything, and ensure that information is not made available to the Senate.