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

I move:

That—

(a) the Senate requires the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians to attend the Senate on 27 August 2020, before government business is called on, to provide an explanation, of no more than 15 minutes, of his administration of his portfolio, with particular reference to the Commonwealth's support to, and regulation of, aged care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic;

(b) at the conclusion of the Minister's statement, or if the Minister fails to make a statement, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate may move a motion - without notice - relating to the explanation or the conduct of the minister;

(c) a motion moved under paragraph (b) may not be amended; and

(d) any motion under paragraph (b) shall have precedence over all other business until determined, and if the question has not been resolved at 11am the question shall then be put.

Given that there is a different voting intention, I understand, from One Nation in relation to different paragraphs, I would ask that paragraph (a) be voted on separately to paragraphs (b), (c) and (d). I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

This is an important motion. It is a motion which goes to ministerial accountability. It is a motion which goes to the basic requirement that a minister should be required to attend the chamber and should be required to respond to matters within his or her portfolio which are of such concern to the community. I would argue that it would also empower the chamber to determine what action should be taken. So I would say to the crossbench that I ask for support not only to require Minister Colbeck to come down to the chamber to respond to the extraordinary maladministration in his portfolio. I would also say—I notice that Senator Roberts is on the monitor—that the second part of the motion which currently One Nation is seeking to oppose gives the Senate the power to act. It gives the Senate the power to act. This chamber—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Wong. Time—

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

I seek leave to finish my statement, Mr President. Another minute.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for another minute.

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

I thank the chamber. I make this point: there are not many occasions in this place where we are confronted with hundreds of Australians dying whilst we are sitting here, day by day. The fact that the government failed to act on multiple warnings—I think it is demonstrably the case they failed to do so—has caused enormous and tragic consequences. This minister should be held to account by this chamber. It is a basic principle of ministerial accountability. We move this motion and we ask for support from the crossbench for all of the paragraphs in the interests of that accountability. I flag here that we will continue to press ministerial accountability because Minister Colbeck has demonstrably failed to do what he ought to have done as a minister of the Crown.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a two-minute statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our government takes ministerial accountability and responsibility very seriously—very seriously indeed. Senator Colbeck has been answering questions all week. I think he's fielded every Labor question in the chamber this week. He has done his absolute best to provide the information that was sought of him. He is dealing with a very difficult challenge and a very difficult circumstance.

In Victoria—in Melbourne, I should say—there is a very significant outbreak of a terrible virus. There is a significant increase in infections, which inevitably, sadly, exposes those most vulnerable in the community the most. That sadly includes residents in aged-care facilities. Of course we all are focused on doing the absolute best we can to make sure we get on top of that very challenging and tragic situation as swiftly as possible. The minister is being accountable. We absolutely think it is appropriate in these circumstances, if the chamber seeks the attendance of a minister, for the minister to attend and for the Senate to take note in relation to the minister's explanation. That is not something we have a problem with.

We do have a problem with paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) because they seek to provide unprecedented power to Senator Wong to move without notice a motion and to have the motion dealt with without amendment. It actually says so in the motion.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, on a point of order.

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

Yes, a point of order. The Leader of the Government is misleading: it is not unprecedented; it is like a suspension of standing orders to move a motion. It is not unprecedented—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, I'm afraid that—

Senator Cormann interjecting—

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

Don't lie!

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, I ask you to withdraw that term.

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

I withdraw.

Senator Cormann interjecting—

Don't mislead; it is not—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is not a point of order, I'm afraid, Senator Wong. Please cease interjecting. Senator Cormann.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm reading directly from the motion. Senator Wong is seeking the power to move a motion without notice relating to the explanation of the conduct of the minister. For that motion to be moved under paragraph (b) it may not be amended. If Senator Wong wants to move motions in relation to the minister she should follow the normal processes of the parliament. This is just an extension of Labor's attempts to play politics with what is a very serious issue.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is—and I have separated the motion pursuant to the request of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate—that clause (a) of motion 744 be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

The question now is that clauses (b), (c) and (d) of motion 744 be agreed to.