Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

Pursuant to contingent notice, at the request of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion relating to the conduct of the business of the Senate, namely a motion to give precedence to general business notice of motion Nos. 298-305 relating to estimates hearings and accountability matters.

In speaking very briefly on this issue I think it is important that we know that the issues around the processes operating in Senate estimates committees are of importance to everyone in this Senate. This is not a side issue; this is an important process about how the Senate estimates operate. We put forward a number of procedural issues and we believe that it is important as we move into a new Senate that we are all aware of the rules of how the business of a Senate estimates committee should operate. There have been some issues in recent committees, and I think it is important that we have the opportunity today before we move into the new Senate to look at the issues.

Some of the things that are in Senator Wong's motions are already part of the general practice of Senate estimates. We are wanting to formalise those, so that we together know exactly what will be occurring in the estimates committees. There are a number of separate motions; Senator Wong has moved them together because they all relate to that process. It is important that we have the opportunity to talk about them

With regard to that opportunity, we have a 30-minute period now for discussion to take place in this chamber—so that we will then be able to look at how the senate estimates will operate; the responsibilities of the chairs, the responsibilities of the officials in this area—they are all important in the way that we as a Senate operate. It is critical that we have a look at that and, very importantly, Mr Deputy President, we should be looking at the timing—so that when we move into the next round of estimates, we are aware of what we as a Senate have agreed to. As we all know, all senators will have a role to play in the senate estimates process. We need to be clear that there is full operation of those Senate estimates—so that the focus of Senate estimates will be the opportunity for questions to be asked—by opposition senators and by other senators—of ministers, and also of the officials who are responsible for that process.

Mr Deputy President, we have the chance today to look at these things. They are clearly on the Notice Paper. They are very straightforward. There is nothing complex about the issues that are before us. We need to know and to have the opportunity to vote on those issues—so that we can accept that a part of the Senate's operations must be through an effective and open senate estimates process. There is no doubt about that. We need to be clear. We need to commit—together—about what the real purpose of Senate estimates is: that we have the opportunity for questions. We sometimes have difficulty here in this chamber, Mr Deputy President, in getting direct answers back, but we know that the opportunity of senate estimates hearings gives all of us the chance to ask detailed questions, and to ask follow-up questions that can sometimes take quite an extended time. In the past, we have had clear arrangements as to timing in that area.

We are asking for the procedures—which can be agreed on together in this place—as to how the senate estimates process operates to then be put in place for the next round of estimates. Then we will be able to see how things operate, and ensure that all senators—and particularly non-government senators—have the opportunity to have their questions asked and answered. This will mean a full opportunity for the debate to continue, within estimates—and it will mean that we are, together, clear on what the process is.