Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am just wondering if I could get some advice from you here: was there a response to a return to order by the Senate in regard to the CSIRO? I understand it was due at 9.30.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I cannot answer that question, but by leave you could ask the government.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I ask the government: what has happened to the return to order?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not know. As you would appreciate, there are a range of returns to order and a range of questions on notice that are due from time to time. They are lodged in the ordinary course of events, and the minister at the desk would not necessarily be aware of what the status of any individual one of those is at any given point in time.

Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I ask the minister if he could make inquiries as to why the return to order has not been complied with.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I say, I do not know what the status is, but I am very happy to check for you.

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—On the same subject, is it possible to have a time set for when Minister Fifield will report that back to the Senate?

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can we leave it with the minister? We might be asking the impossible to get a time from him, unless the minister can indicate a time frame.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not my portfolio and I have no knowledge of the status of it. As a result of those two things, it is really not possible for me to state a time that I can report back.

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—Could I ask that you, Mr President, have a look at this—it was due at 9.30—as to whether we could set a time for some news or some sort of feedback to the chamber about this.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As desirable as that may be from your perspective, it is not up to me; it is up to the government. It is the right of all senators to inquire of the government as to why the government has not completed an order, if that is the case. I think the questions have been asked quite sensibly by Senator Carr and yourself. The minister has taken those on board. The minister can report back to the Senate as and when he can.