DOCUMENTS

Senator PAYMAN (Western Australia—Australia's Voice Whip) (15:51): I move: That— (a) the Senate notes that, as at 2 pm on Tuesday, 8 September 2026: (i) from the 2026-27 Budget estimates, 976 questions on notice remain unanswered and are more than a month overdue, (ii) from the 2025-26 additional estimates, 41 questions on notice remain unanswered and are more than 4 months overdue, (iii) from the 2025-26 supplementary Budget estimates, 52 questions on notice remain unanswered and are between 7 and 9 months overdue, (iv) from the 2025-26 Budget estimates, one question on notice remains unanswered and is more than 15 months overdue, (v) from the 2024-25 additional estimates, 9 questions on notice remain unanswered and are more than 17 months overdue, (vi) from the 2024-25 supplementary Budget estimates, 6 questions on notice remain unanswered and are more than 20 months overdue, and (vii) from the 2024-25 Budget estimates, 4 questions on notice remain unanswered and are more than 26 months overdue; (b) there be laid on the table by the Leader of the Government in the Senate, as soon as practicable after the end of each calendar month, statements which detail, for that calendar month just ended: (i) the number of questions on notice from each of the estimates hearings referred to in paragraph (a) that remained unanswered at the start of the calendar month, (ii) the number of questions on notice from each of the estimates hearings referred to in paragraph (a) for which answers were lodged during the calendar month, (iii) the portfolio, question number and questioning senator for each question on notice from each of the estimates hearings referred to in paragraph (a) for which an answer was lodged during the calendar month, and (iv) the number of questions on notice from each of the estimates hearings referred to in paragraph (a) that remained unanswered at the end of the calendar month; and (c) this order has effect until the number of unanswered questions on notice from each of the estimates hearings referred to in paragraph (a) reaches zero.

The PRESIDENT: The question is that general business notice of motion No. 671, standing in the name of Senator Payman, be agreed to.