Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education) Share this | Hansard source

The government will be opposing this motion. The Senate agreed to the dates and times for the supplementary budget estimates hearings earlier this year. The motion moved by the government, and agreed by the Senate, included an additional four days of estimates above what would usually occur. This motion from Senator Sharma either pre-empts the proceedings of the Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee or is an admission by the opposition that they can't manage their own time during estimates hearings. It is the usual convention that the committee determines whether a spillover hearing is required after the scheduled hearings have concluded. There are mechanisms for senators and committees to request and schedule those hearings under the standing orders that do not require a motion in the Senate.