House debates Questions to the Speaker
Questions in Writing
Chris Bowen Prospect, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer
3:24 pm
Mr Speaker, I seek your assistance under standing order 105(b) to attain answers to the following questions. Firstly, there is question No. 2332, which was asked of the Treasurer on 8 September 2005, to which no answer has been received. Also, no answers have been received to question Nos 2215, 3260, 3278, 3273, 3276, 3277, 3299, 3301, 3311, 3314, 3315, 3366, 3372, 3378, 3385 and 3483.
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Banks is not assisting. I thank the member for Prospect and I will follow up on his request.
John Murphy Lowe, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition
3:25 pm
Similarly, I need a bit of assistance under standing order 105(b). I feel I have been upstaged by the member for Prospect. On 13 June, question No. 6026, to the Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer, first appeared on the Notice Paper. There are also the following questions: No. 6027 to the Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer, No. 6028 to the Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer, No. 6029 to the Minister for Reve-nue and Assistant Treasurer and No. 6030 to the Minister representing the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. They have not been answered. On the following day, 14 June, I asked question No. 6036 to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, No. 6037 to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and No. 6038 to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. I would be grateful, because the parliament is coming to a conclusion, if you could write to those ministers as a matter of urgency and seek reasons for the delay in answers to those questions.
Tony Abbott Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House
Mr Abbott interjecting
John Murphy Lowe, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the House interrupts. This parliament is in its twilight. I have a very good question for the Prime Minister on today’s Notice Paper about the date of the election—question No. 6280—and I would like an immediate answer.
John Murphy Lowe, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition
I would like you to tell us the date—unbosom the date. There would be a great moment of ecstatic release from Sydney to Perth—right across the country—because we would like to know the date of the election.
David Hawker Speaker
The member for Lowe has made his point. I will follow up the member for Lowe’s request on those questions.