James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

I will take that, Senator Birmingham. They probably have answered these questions, and they're probably sitting in an in-tray in the minister's office. I say to them that we expect better from the government of Australia because you should be accountable to the taxpayers and to the voters of this country. But we also expect better from the ministers in this chamber who have the honour of serving as ministers. We expect them to understand that holding a role as a minister of state or an assistant minister or a cabinet minister is an honour. You are there to serve the people of Australia and to be accountable to the people of Australia. Refusing to answer questions put on notice through the estimates process is wrong. It is simply wrong, and it is an outrageous abuse of this chamber and of the estimates system. I hope, on behalf of the taxpayers and the voters of Australia, that these questions are answered.