Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 20:57 to 25:40
Senator Henderson questions the Secretary regarding the significant number of unanswered questions from the previous estimates round and the internal approval process.
Topics: Government spending, Integrity, Public service staffing
Speakers: Senator The Hon Sarah Henderson, Mr Jim Betts, Senator Nita Green
Thank you very much, Chair. Good morning to you all. I just want to start off with some unanswered questions, including a number from the Department and also the Minister. Secretary, are you able to give us an explanation as to why they haven't all been answered from last estimates?
Okay, so um uh assigned to that Minister Wells in Minister Wells' letter to the President of the Senate dated the 16th of October. She indicated that um there were 32 answers to questions on notice outstanding um and as of Friday last week there were 30 outstanding. I understand that they're being tabled by the Minister's Office through us right now. Um as you know, the process for developing answers to Quans is that the Department will uh collate information and provide drafts to the Minister's office for them to review and then should they wish to make any amendments they can do so and um send the answer back to the department for fact-checking, but ultimately the content and the timing of the answers to questions on notice is a matter for the minister's office.
So, in terms of the unanswered questions, when were they submitted by your department to the minister's office?
Some time ago. I'll have to check the precise date. But it is obviously up, it's the minister's prerogative to determine the final form of those answers, and she and her office may well choose to review those answers to make sure that they hit the mark from their point of view.
I mean thank you, Secretary. I appreciate that you've handed these to the Minister's office. So could you just give me the dates at which those questions were handed to the Minister's office?
They would have been progressively in a series of batches over a number of weeks, um, but we can get we'll see what information we can get for you, yes.
Well, one of the unanswered questions relates to Minister Wells' travel to Adelaide last June, where I submitted a range of detailed questions in relation to that sideline meeting at the birthday party. I am very very concerned that these questions remain unanswered. You say that they're going to be tabled today.
They've been they've now been lodged, is my understanding.
They've been lodged. What time were they lodged?
I'm not sure. I just double checked because I wanted to be able to answer probably your next follow-up question about where those questions might be at. And I was um I know that we do try and endeavour to get as many questions answered before the estimates hearing as possible, so that you can ask questions about those questions. Uh and um I'm I don't have them in front of me. I don't have the list or a table in front of me, but um I think the questions that you are referring to are um now with the committee.
No, well, in fact, the the um secretary of the committee has just advised me that we have not received the answers.
That has been confirmed by my staff who are uh moving to get I've instructed them to having just received the documentation immediately prior to 9am, they are endeavouring to get them tabled as quickly as possible. There may be a couple of formatting glitches in there, but I've just said table them anyway. We need to get them sorted.
I mean I appreciate that you have handed the questions to the Minister's Office. Um Minister, and I appreciate you're the representing Minister, but this is totally unacceptable. These responses were due on the 17th of July. The Minister is supported by a significant number of people in her department and her office. This is a very important part of the work of the Parliament to scrutinize the operations and expenditure of the government and government agencies. And I am appalled that so many questions remain outstanding.
Senator, we are seeking to get you those answers as quickly as possible. We do receive an enormous amount of questions on notice. I think that overall, not just this committee, but um the last budget estimates. Um the government received 14,000 questions on notice, the highest amount ever, or much higher than the last round of estimates. Um we do try to get those to you as soon as we can. I'm here to answer questions for you as best I can this morning. Um and we will make sure that um we can get those questions to you as soon as possible.