Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) | Hansard source

supposedly, as Senator Cash says. Occasionally, we get together, and we look at legislation. We interrogate it, we wonder what it means, and we try and understand how we're spending $213 billion of taxpayers' money. This mob over here, the Australian government, is not big on transparency. Of course, as we know, the Centre for Public Integrity said this is the most secretive government in Australia's history.

This is another chapter to be written into its next report about how this government refuses to allow itself to be open to scrutiny. We don't even know what the details are. In fact, it was last week—I believe it was in answer to a question from Senator Cash, perhaps—that we heard that the details of the agreement between Labor and the Greens, which we've not seen, will not be tabled. Was it about an extension to their party room? Are they putting a patio on—perhaps a pergola or a hot tub? I don't know what the next chapter of this deal is, but, whatever it is, it means scrutiny is something that need not be applied to a bill or a set of bills that spend $213 billion of taxpayers' money. We've got to rush it through. It's got to be done this week.

Indeed, we would not seek to block these bills at all because, can I tell you, it is important that we have the administration of government occur and that bills are paid. Let's look at the legislation. Let's debate it. Let's do what this Senate is convened to do. But there's none of that. With every other budget we've had under this government, we've been entitled to that right: to be able to stand up and make representations and contributions on behalf of the truckies driving up the Midland Highway or the cleaners in Hobart—the people who will be paying this bill for generations to come.

We'll rush this through this week, but there's not one word of mention when it comes to savings measures like the NDIS legislation—$35 billion of savings. We will not offset any of the expenditure we are rushing through this parliament today by at all contemplating the $35 billion of savings which could be passed this week, as I say to the Minister for Finance. The opposition would work happily with the government to pass this legislation this week. We would happily work day and night and have long nights. It's on the record. The opposition would happily work with the government to pass this legislation by Thursday, close of business. You could bank $35 billion worth of savings. Let's have some scrutiny on that. That's a good idea. But no, this government is allergic to finding savings. They only want to spend. What is it they are hiding? I guess we'll never know.