MOTIONS › Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians
Senator WONG (South Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (15:45): I move: That— (a) the Senate requires the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians to attend the Senate on 27 August 2020, before government business is called on, to provide an explanation, of no more than 15 minutes, of his administration of his portfolio, with particular reference to the Commonwealth's support to, and regulation of, aged care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) at the conclusion of the Minister's statement, or if the Minister fails to make a statement, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate may move a motion - without notice - relating to the explanation or the conduct of the minister; (c) a motion moved under paragraph (b) may not be amended; and (d) any motion under paragraph (b) shall have precedence over all other business until determined, and if the question has not been resolved at 11am the question shall then be put. Given that there is a different voting intention, I understand, from One Nation in relation to different paragraphs, I would ask that paragraph (a) be voted on separately to paragraphs (b), (c) and (d). I seek leave to make a short statement. The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute. Senator WONG: This is an important motion. It is a motion which goes to ministerial accountability. It is a motion which goes to the basic requirement that a minister should be required to attend the chamber and should be required to respond to matters within his or her portfolio which are of such concern to the community. I would argue that it would also empower the chamber to determine what action should be taken. So I would say to the crossbench that I ask for support not only to require Minister Colbeck to come down to the chamber to respond to the extraordinary maladministration in his portfolio. I would also say—I notice that Senator Roberts is on the monitor—that the second part of the motion which currently One Nation is seeking to oppose gives the Senate the power to act. It gives the Senate the power to act. This chamber— The PRESIDENT: Order, Senator Wong. Time— Senator WONG: I seek leave to finish my statement, Mr President. Another minute. The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for another minute. Senator WONG: I thank the chamber. I make this point: there are not many occasions in this place where we are confronted with hundreds of Australians dying whilst we are sitting here, day by day. The fact that the government failed to act on multiple warnings—I think it is demonstrably the case they failed to do so—has caused enormous and tragic consequences. This minister should be held to account by this chamber. It is a basic principle of ministerial accountability. We move this motion and we ask for support from the crossbench for all of the paragraphs in the interests of that accountability. I flag here that we will continue to press ministerial accountability because Minister Colbeck has demonstrably failed to do what he ought to have done as a minister of the Crown.