Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

The government will not be supporting this motion moved by Senator Hume. Previously Senator Hume has written to committee chairs trying to put an onus for action onto them about unanswered questions on notice. This notice of motion would formalise that approach. However, the government accepts the onus for action is on ministers, and Senator Hume should accept this too.

The motion duplicates continuing order 21, agreed to by the Senate on the motion of Senator Wong in 2014, which provides that ministers must table the number of questions taken on notice at the previous round of estimates hearings, the number of answers provided to the committee by the date set by the committee for answers, and, of those answers not provided to the committee by the due date, the dates on which answers were provided to the approving minister's office. In addition, a number of committee secretariats have adopted the practice of indicating how many remain unanswered, when answers are circulated. Under standing order 75, senators can seek explanation of unanswered questions on notice, as a mechanism for enforcing compliance. Committees also report to the Senate with respect to consideration of estimates, and the opportunity exists.