Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

Perhaps I can take this opportunity to ask the minister if he is in the position to provide any of the other information that was canvassed in the previous session discussing this bill. Perhaps the clerks could assist me also. I know we made some progress just before the hours motion kicked back in, and we are now on this bill. Was the minister's response to the order for production of documents tabled during that period? I am seeing a no to that, so I will ask the minister again. We are in this ludicrous situation where, under the government's hours motion, we still do not have before the Senate your response, Minister, to an earlier order for production of documents that the Senate endorsed earlier this week. The deadline is now probably about two days old. You told us that you provided a letter to the President responding to that order of the Senate. I earlier asked why the usual courtesy of conveying that information to the senator moving that motion was not satisfied, and I still have no answer or sight of that letter.

The Senate is now following the hours motion that was agreed to between the government and the crossbench, but we are in this farcical situation where an order for production of documents in relation to the consideration of this bill has still not been provided to the Senate. Minister, I essentially beseech you now, because I do not think it is appropriate conduct for the Senate in scrutiny of legislation for there to be an outstanding order for production of documents when we are trying to progress this legislation. Despite all of the cooperation that has been going on here during the committee stage consideration, us taking that step exposes the farcical element of this process. I beseech you, Minister, to at least table that letter during this committee stage consideration so that this Senate is not left in the situation where it does not have a response to an order for production of documents.