Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement for less than one minute.

Leave granted.

Earlier today the Senate passed a motion, supported by the government, to compel the Treasurer, Mr Hockey, to lay on the table no later than 5 pm today all of his unanswered questions on notice, which total over 1,700. No documents have been tabled by the Treasurer. To that extent, the Treasurer has failed to comply with the requirements of the Senate. But I suspect that the person who will be feeling the heat tonight is Senator Colbeck. He was the minister on duty this afternoon. He voted to force the Treasurer to table his unanswered questions. The government stands embarrassed. I know that Mr Hockey is not popular, but it must be a first for a government to vote against their own in this chamber. This is embarrassing for the government tonight—firstly, not answering these 1,700 questions and, secondly, voting against their own Treasurer.