Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

I'll second the motion, and I acknowledge the Leader of the House being here. I know the Leader of the House and, indeed, the Prime Minister have always said how much they respect the processes of this chamber and the parliament and the importance of transparency and the parliament itself, and I think to maintain rigorousness about this chamber—within this chamber, the Federation Chamber and the Senate—is very important to our parliamentary democracy.

I'd also like to reiterate and remind those opposite that, when this government got elected the first time, four years ago, they said one of their main aims was going to be improved transparency within this chamber and in the parliamentary processes and the rigorousness of this chamber and the consultative nature of what they wanted to undergo. I think what we've seen ever since they've been elected, with all due respect, is everything the opposite of that. There have been changes to the standing and sessional orders—with, indeed, suspensions of standing orders and the way those processes would work—that I think have weakened the transparency of this chamber, parliamentary democracy and parliamentary processes.

I reiterate what the Manager of Opposition Business just said, listing 13 ministers who couldn't be bothered to turn up to consideration in detail last year. I think it's especially important, with all due respect too, this year more than any other and this time more than any other. We have quite a controversial budget. There are a lot of opposition shadow ministers who have real questions and ramifications and things they want to ask about—if things have been modelled, if things have been looked at in relation to this current budget and their portfolios.

The fact of asking—the fact that the Manager of Opposition Business feels he needs to move an amendment to encourage ministers to turn up to this—is a bit embarrassing in itself. But we're here to help, and we are doing this in a consultative and transparent manner. It was a positive suggestion to give to the Leader of the House, who I know respects these processes. He says he respects them. I actually heard him say one day that, if he could, he would spend every day of every week sitting in the parliament rather than going home. If he's so enthusiastic, as he says, about the processes within these chambers, I don't think he'll have a problem with this. I think he'll go: 'You know what? Let's do this. Let's make sure our ministers are there defending the budget. Let's make sure the Treasurer does go in there and defend what he thinks are the bravest reforms this government has ever done.' Of course, all his ministers would support this because all his ministers think this is brave reform transforming our country to the positive. So let's see them turn up and defend it in consideration in detail.

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