Mary Fisher (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the explanation.

In moving that, let the Senate take note of that wholly unsatisfactory response, because it is hardly an explanation. I note that the majority of those questions remaining unanswered relate to water. This government has put on hold not only any reform of the Murray-Darling Basin but also any form of accountability to the Senate and the Senate estimates process about what it is doing to help the people of Australia look after the Murray-Darling Basin.

Question agreed to.

I now ask, pursuant to standing order 74(5), the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy why answers have not been provided to questions—and I will list them in a minute—asked during the additional estimates hearing of the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee in February this year. There are some 271 questions: Nos 24, 26, 28-72, 83, 92, 95, 98, 100, 101, 104, 105, 109, 111—Senator Boswell may yet get to be that old—126, 132, 133, 134, 135, 137, 138, 139, 194-395, 400, 407, 408, 412, 418 and 424.