Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—Having moved the motion, I would also like to briefly respond. Two things really come out of this. One is that the government will take on board the request to do our utmost to ensure that annual reports are provided in a timely way that allows for their consideration in supplementary estimates. I note that, whilst the opposition say that reports were previously provided for supplementary estimates, my experience over the last 11 years tells me otherwise. There were times when annual reports were not provided by the due date of 31 October, and in many instances if you were at the early part of the supplementary estimates week then they were not available to be dealt with at that time. In the Attorney-General’s and Immigration portfolios there were numerous occasions when the report was tabled the day before, during the day itself or during the following day when time was no longer available.

Having said that, the advice from the Clerk is that the following February estimates are available for consideration of annual reports, but I do recognise the request for annual reports to be utilised by the opposition to question the government on them and the financials that accompany them. There is the opportunity, of course, to deal with those separately, and I think that the opposition recognise that. In saying that, I will seek to do my utmost to ensure that the annual reports are provided in a timely way for these coming estimates. I will also do my utmost to ensure that in 2009 we take on board the remarks by Senator Minchin and do our utmost in that regard.

In relation to the sitting pattern, I have not had an opportunity to examine it in detail to see whether in fact Senator Minchin’s comments stack up about their time in government, but I will undertake that inquiry. Let us hope, Senator Minchin, that you are right. My recollection is that there have been varying sitting patterns over the last 10 or 11 years. This is not out of kilter with those. It is in accordance with the average of the past, as I understand it, but I will check the record.

Question agreed to.