DOCUMENTS

Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for Finance, Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Women, Minister for Government Services and Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (15:03): For the 117th time— Senator Ruston: You exaggerate! Senator GALLAGHER: It's 120 so far. Order for the production of documents No. 197 requests a report which was already requested by Senator Bragg at Senate estimates.

As indicated to Senator Bragg at the estimates hearing, the government is considering what documents are and are not in scope and appropriate for tabling. The government expects to be able to respond to him in the usual way. Senator Bragg's initial OPD, agreed on 28 October, gave the Minister for Housing two days to respond.

This original order was not followed by a compliance motion before the motion which sets up this attendance. Not only is this a departure from standard practice; it's really an abuse of the process to require ministerial attendance on an OPD that has been with the minister for a week and one day. Senator Bragg alone has submitted around 30 OPDs in the 21 Senate sitting days of this parliament.

That is as many OPDs in three weeks as were agreed to in the 50 years between 1914 and 1964—a span that included 13 parliaments and two world wars. This is less about government transparency and more about Senator Bragg's political theatrics. It may also assist the Senate and Senator Bragg to know that the orders for the production of documents regarding housing portfolio matters are best directed to the Minister representing the Minister for Housing rather than to the Minister representing the Treasurer.