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Monday, 19 September 2011
Page: 6378

Senator ABETZ (Tasmania—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (15:06): I move:

That the Senate take note of the minister's explanation.

I will not delay the Senate for long, but, as the minister himself indicated, these questions were asked on 30 May 2011. I then wrote to the minister on 19 July and again on 1 September 2011, and on each occasion those written inquiries did not even elicit a letter in response.

If we are to believe that which the minister has just told the Senate, one has to ask: why was it not possible for the minister or the department to advise me of that when written requests were made for an explanation as to the delay? I thought it somewhat ironic that it is this minister in particular who should raise the argument of burden on resources, given the number of questions that he used to place on notice when he was in opposition.

The questions, with respect, are not that complex. One of the questions was: What measures and/or procedures are in place to prevent contraband or weapons being brought into detention centres? I would have thought that that would be a written document or something that could be responded to immediately. Here we are, waiting month after month and the government cannot even respond to such a most basic of questions. We also had incidents of violence being asked about in question 674. If there is so much information that needs to be gleaned, it would seem that we have a great multiplicity of incidences involving violence, which, of course, is a matter of concern.

I will not delay the Senate any further other than to indicate that if we are to accept these ministerial explanations without even being given an end-time as to when we might have an answer, it would be appropriate for the minister and the government to treat the Senate with respect and respond to the written requests, which I made on two occasions before finally raising it in the chamber.

Question agreed to.