Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I am sure the Attorney-General has a very sound and cogent reason in relation to these matters. I understand that Senator Ludwig is aware that the Attorney-General had to leave the chamber and therefore is unable to give a specific response to him. Having said that, I will briefly indicate that this exercise being undertaken by Senator Ludwig is in fact an exercise in breathtakingly gross hypocrisy. The delays and the non-answers that were suffered year after year—for six long years—while Senator Ludwig was in fact a minister, indicates that some of the unfortunate delays that are currently being occasioned are not because of deliberate tactic, but because of the sheer weight of work. I still especially recall my questions on the ABC going back to estimates after estimates, then Senator Conroy—having had the answers from the department and from the ABC in his office for weeks on end—dropping them the very day after the ABC estimates. It was a dirty tactic, and a tactic that was well known. Here we have the Australian Labor Party literally dumping hundreds of questions on departments and seeking a response, then when they are not in exactly on time, pretending that they somehow have the high moral ground in this area when their record of the past six years speaks so devastatingly for itself.