Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

The motion agreed to by the Senate on April Fools' Day seeks explanations on two separate orders: OPD 119 and OPD 27. It might be useful to remind Senator Bragg of what his motions were, given there have been so many of them. I'm very pleased to see that Senator Bragg has clearly had a good six-week break. I don't want to reflect on a senator's appearance, but he's clearly had some vitamin D therapy. Suntanned in here—I don't know whether he picked up the tan doorknocking in Deniliquin, greeting voters in Griffith, arguing with voters in Albury—on Dean Street there—or lingering in Leeton. I faintly suspect that none of those places were the source of the additional melatonin produced by sunshine for the old humble Bragg. I suspect it was there at Coota Beach—or skiing, perhaps.

Order 119 sought documents 'regarding the contingent liability taxpayers are being exposed to' from the Home Guarantee Scheme. That's in Senator Bragg's own words. Two documents were tabled in response to that order: firstly, an Excel spreadsheet of the modelling conducted by the Australian Government Actuary on the contingent liability of this scheme and, secondly, the papers that accompany that Excel spreadsheet and explain and provide a summary of the result. The order was for contingent liability modelling. We provided him with that contingent liability modelling in a spreadsheet with an explanation. The government has complied with this motion, and we've given Senator Bragg precisely what the motion sought. Minister O'Neil has explained this to Senator Bragg in a letter directly addressed to him, Minister Gallagher has explained this to him in a statement, Minister Farrell has explained this to him in the Senate and I'm back here for round 2 to see if I can get it through that this order has been entirely complied with.

Maybe one of his colleagues could assist him—maybe by sorting the piles of paper on his desk—to figure this out. He even told the chamber that the contingent liability has nothing to do with the Home Guarantee Scheme. This is his own motion that he's clearly very, very confused about. I'm happy to assist him by tabling it. We can nail it on his door—whatever he likes. It's job done in terms of order 119.

In relation to order 27, which related to the Home Guarantee Scheme and to our plan to build 100,000 new homes for first home buyers, the government has provided documents too. Following long-standard practice, redactions have been applied to remove names and contact details of non-executive staff. That's the normal process. As is appropriate, documents which would disclose the deliberation of cabinet are not released, but that is not a new approach from this government. It is a well-established process that has a very strong rationale and backing from this institution in order to protect cabinet deliberations. I'm not sure whether or not it really is that Senator Bragg has just lost track of what's going on here, but it does tell you a bit about the carping negativity and process focus—a complete lack of focus on the things that ordinary Australians want, which is a government that's backing them and backing their work to secure a home for them and their families.