Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I understand Senator Nampijinpa Price's office alerted my office at 1.55 today. As I have been in here since pretty much that time, I haven't been able to get a response for the senator as to when that question will be answered. But I have asked for it so that I will be able to provide an explanation. I'm not in a position to do that right now, just from the point of view that I've been in here for the last hour and I've only just been made aware that your office contacted mine. I would say, in a general sense, parliamentary questions on notice have increased from an average of less than 1,000 per year to 2,200 in the first year of the Albanese government. We have answered all questions from the October 2022 estimates and all but two questions from the February 2023 estimates, which we'll continue to work through. I would say that, when the Morrison government left office, there were nearly 1,000 unanswered QONs, some dating back to October 2019. We are doing the best we can. I think the numbers of questions on notice and how they are being asked across multiple agencies is probably a tactic from the opposition. But we are genuinely trying to answer them in the time allowed. I will come back on that question specifically, Senator Nampijinpa Price, but I've been in here literally the whole time since your office alerted mine to this matter.