Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the On Tuesday, the minister took three opposition questions on notice in relation to the variation of her decision-making processes as a consequence of her referral to the High Court. Yesterday, Senator Pratt wrote to the minister to ask that she provide answers to those questions after question time, but the minister failed to do so. Will the minister now provide answers to questions which were asked two days ago?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did take some questions on notice and I will be providing those answers in due course.

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

Senator Wong, a supplementary question.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could the minister please advise what she believes 'in due course' constitutes? In addition, the minister couldn't tell the Senate yesterday how much of the government's Community Development Grants Program had been allocated to projects in the Hunter Valley. The minister has now had 24 hours to find that answer. I ask again: how much of the $940 million program has been allocated to the Hunter, and can she explain why the Hunter has received a disproportionately low share of funding?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can certainly advise the Senate that all of the projects that receive funding go through a very rigorous analysis process. They all go through a detailed value-for-money assessment, and projects do not proceed to funding if they do not go through that process. That is entirely appropriate. We do not—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a point of order on direct relevance. The minister has now had two questions and 24 hours to answer a simple question about the Hunter Valley.

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

The minister was explaining, and it was certainly relevant to the question.

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have indeed taken some of those on notice, and I am continuing to answer questions today. I think this might be my 13th or 14th question this week. I've indicated I'll take some on notice and answer other questions. I will provide more fulsomely for the Senate, when I have some time, further information around the Hunter and the funding that is going from the coalition government into the region.

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

Senator Wong, a final supplementary question.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister explain to the Senate why she is continually unable to answer questions within her portfolio? Is it that this minister is so distracted by her potential ineligibility she is incapable of demonstrating accountability to the chamber?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Deputy Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I reject that completely of course. I'm not incapable of answering the questions. I sign off on projects all the time. I'm sure that colleagues understand that I do that, as you would expect. As those opposite would know, at particular points in time I might not have an exact figure on hand. But it is really important to note that I sign off on those projects and those grants all the time, because that funding is so important for those communities to secure their future—something those opposite continue to ignore. They have no concept at all of the fact that funding is important in partnership with those communities to grow those futures. Those opposite would be talking about those communities if they genuinely cared about the communities across this country, particularly in regional Australia—they would have taken an opportunity to talk about something that was important to regional Australia.