Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That there be laid on the table, no later than Wednesday 18 May, the answers to the 159 questions that remain outstanding.

It took 38 pages for the 159 questions, which have been tabled and are available in the chamber. For the benefit of the minister, Minister Lundy, I assure her that I did personally phone each of the ministers—Evans, Arbib, Ellis and Garrett, and followed up with an email to each of them. So, in terms of the capacity of the minister to be here, I can assure you they should have been, because they knew.

In the short time available to me in this new era of transparency, I just want to advise you that of the additional estimates questions in February 2010, 24 per cent were unanswered as of the expiry date. It jumped to 88 per cent not answered by 31 July as a result of the budget estimates last year. They got a little bit better after the October supplementary estimates—45 per cent unanswered. As of the date required this year, 8 April, a shocking 57 per cent of questions were unanswered. Twelve or 14 senators asked these questions. It is totally unacceptable. If we are ever to see the 'sun shine in', as this Prime Minister has said, I agree with my medical colleague Senator Eggleston: the only way to achieve it would be through the ingestion of Ford pills.

Question agreed to.