Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement) Share this | Hansard source

I'm just going to speak very briefly, because I am keen for the people in the gallery to know what's happening in this debate on the NDIS sustainability framework. More than a year ago, a majority of this Senate passed a resolution that certain very crucial documents in relation to the NDIS should be produced to this Senate so that we would have the benefit, as senators representing the people of Australia, to review that documentation. The government refused to provide that information. The basis on which the Labor government refused to provide that information included that it would prejudice relationships between the Commonwealth government and the state governments. But the one point they can't answer—that they refuse to answer—is how. How is it going to prejudice relations between the Commonwealth government and state governments? Second, have they actually asked the state governments whether they have any objection to the Senate having access to that information?

It totally undermines the credibility of the Labor government, refusing to provide these documents to this Senate, a majority of whom, representing a majority of the Australian people, requested the production of these documents. That is the shameful situation you're witnessing today, where a majority of the Senate has requested information for over a year, and the Labor government refuses to provide it.