Sean Edwards (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

(South Australia) (): Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the Minister representing the Prime Minister for reminding me of the Howard era. Is the minister aware that, even after putting the GST to the people at an election, the Howard government established four Senate committees, with an average of 121 days each—a total of 480 days through which the committee process was able to scrutinise the legislation. Is the government's refusal to submit the carbon tax legislation to an election or to the same level of parlia­mentary scrutiny just another example of how far it is willing to go to avoid the kind of public accountability— (Time expired)