Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, upon notice, on 22 August 2011:

With reference to the answer to question on notice no. 837 (Senate, Hansard, 17 August 2011, p. 111), which indicates that the department provided a redrafted answer to question on notice no. 71 (from the 2010-11 additional estimates hearings of the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee in February 2011) to the Minister on 7 April 2011:

(1) Why did it take 46 days or thereabouts to have this answer transmitted to the committee.

(2) Why was the question tabled on the Monday immediately following Senate estimates.

(3) Why was no priority given to the answer that had been sitting in the Minister's office for more than 5 weeks, so that it could be available for Senate estimates.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

The answer to question on notice 71 was provided to the Committee on 23 May 2011, immediately after it was approved for tabling and prior to the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities appearance at the budget estimates hearing on 24 and 25 May 2011.