A list of questions that definitely won’t be asked at Senate estimates

The Senate is guessing time, so it’s time to look at government spending and really hold these bastards to account!

Laugh out loud.

Senate committees have existed in some form since federation, but Senate hearings as we know them are only as old as the Beatles. Let it be.

The committee system is designed to scrutinize all areas of government spending and decision-making, but like all things political it is largely relegated to a forum for political points and “protecting the minister” – known as “even if you ask about it, senator”.

It’s one of the rare times when senators can question senior public officials, who will spend weeks preparing for how their departments won’t answer questions and “use it in a way that I’ll have to take it into consideration.”

But still we continue.

Most of the time, you can predict what will come up. Senators and their staff have spent months asking journalists, advocates, and the like what questions were not getting enough attention or not being answered in stories and hearings (you can usually tell who a particular media outlet/group is running what broad line of questioning and to whom).

You want your senators to be on issues that aren’t making headlines, so this app can be helpful. Senators cut from the Senate committee selection process are free to attend whatever hearings they want and ask questions (usually Malcolm Roberts questioning the Director of the Bureau of Meteorology about Facebook conspiracies), meaning that some of the issues the government is trying to get a little out of are a minor excursion.

You’ll also find that some parliamentarians are making a call to their communities about things they’ve noticed, which can broaden the field.

Questions that the government of the day often bring the biggest headlines and will understandably leave untouched. Modern politics has made an art form not without answers, but this cynicism has also created a culture of apathy that has turned voters off, assuming they won’t learn anything anyway.

That’s why questions are important. Because the more you know what they won’t respond to, the more you know what kind of government they are.

The portfolios of finance and public administration, legal and constitutional affairs, environment and communications, rural regional affairs and transport will be on the grid today and tomorrow. On Thursday and Friday, education and employment, foreign relations, defense and trade, economy and community affairs take a turn. You can see a full breakdown of the portfolios to be reviewed this week. Here.

Crrikey He’s compiled a short list of questions that might be asked in the forecast, but probably won’t be (and feel free to add yours below – we know politicians are reading this, so you never know):

So this is genocide, right? Are we against this now?

Given the failures, the potential for another robodebt, and the countless warnings, why does the mutual obligations system still work?

Department of Health Secretary Blair Comley said earlier this year Health Secretary Mark Butler commissioned, consulted or published more than 70 reviews during the last parliamentary term and you want “More things, less scrutiny” from the minister. How many of these reviews have been fully implemented?

How many partially?

How many reviews have been conducted from this period?

How much to do Have you seen it yet?

What part of the decision to approve the North West shelf Gas extension on Friday, September 12, Climate Risk Assessment Plan Is it being released on Monday, September 15?

Science tells us that phasing out the world from fossil fuels is what Australia needs to have a chance of securing a climate that enables us to increase productivity and deliver homes, jobs, clean energy and economic prosperity. But instead of phasing out, this government continues to expand coal and gas. Is it EPBC Do the reforms make it impossible to approve new gas or coal? If not, what does this mean?

Will the government intervene to resolve significant governance issues at the Australian National University once they are announced? ANU made a profit of $90 million last yearTo justify controversial staff and course cuts while claiming to have made a loss of $142 million?

Santos Ltd paid no company tax for 10 years from 2013-14 to 2023-24, despite total revenue of $46.7 billion over that time and failing to declare a profit of $1.2 billion in 2024 and $1.423 billion in 2023. Why do we continue with this?

Why has the government set a limit on emissions reductions until 2035?

(Adds) Why not? Set a minimum goal, Instead of a range with a 70% ceiling? Does the government want to limit emissions reductions so as not to reduce emissions by 70%?

This current financial year, the richest 10% of Australians will receive pension tax concessions worth around $21 billion. Considering that the government is in Retirement Goal Act 2024 Can you explain why giving $21 billion to the richest 10% is equal or sustainable, given that the retirement goal is “to preserve savings to generate income for a dignified retirement, in an equitable and sustainable manner alongside government support,” especially given that these retirees will never be eligible for retirement age?

Speaking with American generals, the President of the United States suggested US cities Should be used as a training ground for the US military. Is this an example “Shared values” The Deputy Prime Minister talked about when the Aukus agreement was justified, saying, “We share values, we support the maintenance of rules-based order”?

Is it true that under Aukus the US cannot deliver submarines and still violate the agreement?

Is the government thinking Defense Housing Australia Success? If so, has the government explored expanding coverage to provide housing for other public service workers in Australia?

Has the government modeled how far it has expanded? 5% deposit policy will increase housing prices before explaining? Has she modeled it since?

OECD sees fuel tax credit as an industry subsidy. Why does the government think the mining industry needs a subsidy of nearly $5 billion, given that it is our most profitable industry?

Government, RBA Suppress inflation and should thousands more Australians lose their jobs?

Eafetis Commissioner used your Government department As the excuse for freedom of information changes, Because one year you have 600 FOI requests and it took several months to process them. You are a $145 million suit. Is it true that 600 Twitter users sending form emails are underrated? Web forms are an internet technology that dates back to at least the 90s. If a web form can bring the extract commission to its knees, what hope do we have against social media and AI?