Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Carr. I ask Senator Carr, pursuant to standing order 74, why after more than 30 days—indeed, after more than 90 days—have answers not been provided to 18 questions on notice? I note that Senator Carr, as opposed to some of his colleagues, has not even had the courtesy to stay in the chamber, having been given notice last Thursday of this. These are question Nos 898, 910, 916, 919, 921, 933, 939, 944, 956, 962, 965, 977, 1005, 1011, 2023, 1031, 1033 and 1036.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I speak on behalf of and represent Senator Carr, Senator Sherry and Senator Conroy. Ministers have busy schedules. In relation to procedural matters like this, it is not unusual for the Manager of Government Business in the Senate to respond on behalf of other senators.

As I indicated during my answer to an earlier question, we take answering questions seriously. We have been looking at how we can provide some of those responses. The questions range quite widely across many portfolios. It requires an amount of work on behalf of the government to provide answers. We are happy to undertake that work, unlike the previous government, which appears—from the statistics that Senator Evans read out—to have not been happy to undertake the work, or perhaps it was not happy with the transparency and scrutiny that otherwise would have been provided had they answered those questions. We have undertaken to examine those questions and ensure that answers are provided.