Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the explanation.

I rise to take note of the minister's statement. The issue I have with the explanation that the minister has just given is that it is full of excuses. It was excuse after excuse after excuse: 'There were too many questions asked,' and, 'The questions asked have too many parts to them.' That was never a luxury that was afforded to us when we were in government. When we were in government, those on the other side, at the drop of a hat, did not hesitate to stand up and ask for—in fact, not even ask for, but demand—accountability and transparency. Yet how the attitude changes the minute they are elected to government. There's excuse after excuse after excuse. But one of the issues is this: prior to the last election, what did Mr Albanese and his ministers trumpet from the highest mountain they could find? The problem was that he kept on telling the Australian people that, if he was elected to govern, his government, for the first time in Australian history, would deliver the transparency, integrity and accountability that no other government in Australia had ever delivered before.