David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pursuant to standing order 74(5), I ask the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, Minister Evans, for an explanation as to why answers have not been provided to questions on notice numbers 503 and 504, which were asked on 21 March, 633, 637, 638, 639, 640, 641, 642, 643, 644, 645, 646 and 647 as asked on 29 April, question 712 on 23 June, and 759, 779, 780 and 789 as asked on 5 July of this year.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As the Senate would know, I am on top of all of those answers. I understand the senator gave prior advice to Mr Smith's office that he would be asking for a follow-up to his questions on notice. I thank him for doing us that courtesy. I am also aware that he wrote to the Minister for Defence on 22 September in relation to 32 questions he asked on notice which have not yet been answered. These are in addition to 101 questions taken on notice following the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade budget estimates hearings on 30-31 May 2011.

Of those 101 questions, 93 answers have been provided. I can advise the Senate that of the 32 questions he referred to in his correspondence, 13 have been tabled and 19 remain under consideration. Some of the questions asked by the senator relate to complex and highly technical matters and others to national security issues. Accordingly, a number of these questions have required a significant effort to address. Obviously, it is important to ensure that answers to these questions are competent and deal with the complexity of the questions asked. I appreciate the senator's concern. The minister has indicated to me that he expects that outstanding Senate defence questions on notice are to be tabled by the end of this week.

David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the explanation as provided by the minister.

I thank the minister for using his good offices to obtain the answers to what are important questions. Very briefly, questions—whether they be without notice or upon notice—are the fundamental building block upon which the Senate and, more particularly, the parliament is built. A failure to answer questions in a timely way undermines the important rights of the Australian people though their parliament—that is, the right to know and to understand what their government is doing. I urge the minister to use his good offices to provide those answers and I thank him for his consideration in that regard.

Question agreed to.