Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

The suspension, of course, is about question time and altering the order of call. We believe it is urgent because this government, these ministers, refuse to be transparent. That is the thing. The minister over there, Senator Watt, says, 'We've answered the questions.' He's provided whatever he thinks is an answer, but it doesn't go to the issues that are being asked about here, because, as discussed, record numbers—this is all interrelated. It's all interrelated.

Transparency is not just something that occurs in one part of a government's business. We have orders for the production of documents that this government refused to respond to in any meaningful way. We have FOI requests on behalf of the people of Australia that this government refused to provide responses to in any meaningful way. We are here in question time—the one time of the day when we are able to ask ministers of the Crown, elected on behalf of the people of Australia to run the government. Of course, they seek to run their influence here as well, telling senators when they'll get a question and in what order. What is next from this government that refuses to stand by the promises they made? They won't do it. This is just another example of that.

So I would ask the Greens to reconsider their position—and Senator Pocock as well—because I think it is important this government is held to account. If we can't get this motion passed here today, we will come back with another motion to deal with this very issue, because, as I said last week, it is an urgent matter now. But we've had enough of a government completely rejecting the democratic rights of the people of Australia, as represented here by the majority of senators outside of the Australian Labor Party.

I look forward to working with a government that wants to actually be co-operative; I'm happy to do that. But a bit of transparency along the way never goes astray. It was what was promised—transparency. Part of that is question time. We have, as I've said before, a government that refuses to be transparent and wants to dictate to this Senate who'll get a question when and in what order. That doesn't sound like a government that is obeying the will of the Australian people and working cooperatively with all senators that don't happen to be in their party room. Of course, this Senate chamber is sovereign. It is not ruled by the government. There are conventions that that mob there, this government, will not stick by, whether it's on staffing, on question time, on transparency—

Honourable senators interjecting—