Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Integrity and transparency are incredibly important in this chamber. Indeed, integrity and transparency are incredibly important in our democracy. Without them, we in this place cannot expect the public to have faith in this very institution—the federal parliament—and the vital role that it plays within our democracy.

Question time—the hour every day that we spend here when the opposition asks questions of the government and the government provides answers to those—plays a really vital role in enhancing that same faith. There can be no doubt, given some of the media reporting over the last week or so that has shed new light on the events that have played out in this very parliament in recent years, that there are still many, many more questions that government ministers have to answer, particularly in terms of what members of the now government knew and when they knew that in regard to allegations of a sexual assault in Parliament House and what they subsequently did with that information. Indeed, the Australian newspaper published two editorials in recent days urging greater transparency from the government. I note that my colleague Senator Scarr referenced some of those comments in his contribution to this debate earlier today.

Having sat here over the last hour and a half listening to the questions that were being asked by the opposition and listening to the answers that were being provided by the government, I am unconvinced that anybody at home listening along to what was happening in question time would have had much confidence in the government's will to be open, transparent and accountable regarding these issues. Indeed, it seems like, every time the opposition comes into this chamber asking questions of the government, the government is incredibly reticent to provide any answers. I must say, that's a recurring theme from this government. I know I've spoken about this many times before when I've been in this chamber taking note of answers provided in question time. Whether it's in question time, in Senate estimates, in questions on notice through this chamber or even in government responses to committee reports, we in the opposition, and I think many Australians, are left wanting for fulsome answers.

After more than a year of a Labor federal government, people, I think, are starting to get tired of it. This is a government that promised during the election campaign that they would be a government of accountability and transparency. They promised a number of things: to tackle the cost-of-living pressures, to make housing more affordable and to cut power bills by $275. Twelve months on, they either refuse to reference these commitments or obfuscate at the estimates table when they're asked how these policies are being progressed. Australians deserve to know what their government is doing to make life easier for them. They deserve to know that their government is delivering on its election commitments, and they deserve to know when their government is failing on its own commitment—a commitment that it made to the Australian people in the lead-up to May last year to be an accountable and transparent government.

Frankly, after listening to the responses provided by government ministers to opposition questions here today, once again I am left wondering when the government will even entertain the idea of satisfying that important test. I mean that both in general terms and in terms of the specifics of the questions that were being asked to the finance minister, Senator Gallagher, here today. How can Australians have confidence in this government when the Prime Minister and ministers are saying one thing but are doing the complete opposite? It is incumbent on this government and the relevant ministers in this place to set the record straight and provide Australians with the answers they deserve about this important issue, because it is one of public interest and it has become highly politicised. We need clarity, and the Australian public is waiting for answers.

Question agreed to.