Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

The government does not support this motion from Senator Hume. There is an existing right under standing order 74(5) for Senator Hume to seek an explanation for unanswered questions on notice. This has been available to her on any sitting day since the deadline set by the committee for the return of answers passed. The Senate should avoid going around its own standing orders in the way proposed by Senator Hume.

Senate estimates questions on notice have increased to more than 19,000 in the first year of the Albanese government. We have answered all questions from the October 2022 budget estimates and the February 2023 supplementary budget estimates. In regard to the May 2023 budget estimates hearings, our government has now answered over 8½ thousand of the 8,600 questions—2,500 of which were asked by Senator Hume. Compare that to the Morrison government which, for the equivalent budget estimates in May 2021, answered only 67 per cent of questions by the due date.