Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

I would like to speak on item No. 1 'Estimates hearings—Unanswered questions on notice'.

I think it is important that when we have the opportunity we remind the community of how important estimates are in our democratic process. We know that it is an excellent forum for the opposition parties to hold the government to account. But for us to be able to do that we need to have good management and good chairing of the estimates time that we have available to give scrutiny to the issues that we believe are very important. What we find most of the time—I certainly did when I was at estimates last month, for health and aged care—is that there is never adequate time to delve into the issues that need scrutiny.

There is little doubt that this government needs to be held accountable. It needs to be held accountable because it has not demonstrated the capacity to lead this country and to govern. A typical example is when there are issues that are so incredibly important for our older Australians and for the wider community when it comes to issues around aged-care. It is so disappointing when we have a minister at the table with department officials who are unable to answer our questions. That is disappointing enough, but then when you put those questions on notice it is not too little to expect that we will have those answers returned to us and to the committee members so that we have time give them the due diligence that they require to see whether or not they have in fact answered the questions. We know that politicians sometimes are quite skilful in avoiding answering any questions. They talk a lot, but they actually say very little.

So I wanted to take the opportunity to remind the government of how important it is to ensure that their departments take their responsibility very seriously. It is a minister's responsibility to have oversight to ensure that those questions are answered as soon as possible.

As I said, it is also an opportunity to talk about how important the estimates process is to our democracy. It is at those estimates we find out the detail about the budget expenditure—whether in fact that money has been spent, whether it has been spent according to the legislation and the intent of the legislation or whether in fact, and sometimes it is, the money has not been spent within that financial year. It is a very important process for us to undertake as senators.

I have to say that those people in the other place, in the House of Representatives, have very little understanding when it comes to how the Senate operates, let alone the importance and the credence that we place on the estimates. But I recall when I first came to this place that two very wise senators, Robert Ray from Victoria and John Faulkner from New South Wales—

John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The only two you have ever had!

Helen Polley (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will take that interjection, because you agree with me that they were very, very wise senators. They had been in this place for a very long period of time, and what they taught me was that it is about how you approach these Senate estimates that will determine how much information you are going to be able to extract from the government officials. After all, we all know it is the responsibility of the government officials to respond to questions but not to make comments on the policy of the day.

So it is a very important process, and I myself have a lot to thank both the former Senators Robert Ray and John Faulkner for, for their expertise. They were so intrinsic to ascertaining information and helping us when we were in opposition, but they were also just as keen and had an eye for detail when we were in government.

I just want to place on record the importance of the estimates process, and I urge all government agencies and departments to note that when we do put questions on notice, we do that because we are seeking information. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted.