Senate estimates kick off ... with more than 1600 questions overdue from the last round
By Lucinda Garbutt-Young February 8 2026
More than 1600 questions on notice remain unanswered and languishing in an online backlog from last year's Senate estimates, with a minister blaming the Coalition's "abuse" of the estimates system.
Department secretaries and ministers will once again front panels of senators this week to be grilled on their budgets. But as the first estimates of the calendar year commence, 1655 answers to questions on notice, or about six per cent, are overdue from the 2025-26 supplementary estimates round, Parliamentary records show.
Liberal senator Jane Hume is known to be prolific when it comes to estimate questions. Picture by Keegan Carroll
Committees decide on due dates for questions on notice, generally about 30 calendar days after the estimates took place. The estimates were held in both October and December last year and therefore had answers due at different times.
If an answer is not given more than 30 days after that timeframe, the senator who asked it is entitled to approach the relevant minister for an explanation. They can then move a motion in the Senate with regard to the minister's failure to provide an answer or explanation.
That is quite uncommon, though, and only tends to be used for questions of significant importance. There are 35 still overdue questions from 2024-2025 estimates for which motions have not been moved.
The Parliamentary database showing overdue questions does not account for whether a minister has been approached, and therefore does not state if an explanation has been given.
There were 11 departments with overdue answers from supplementary budgets, accounting for about 250 questions, as at February 8.
The Department of Finance had 105 of 281 questions, or 37 per cent, left without answers, according to records. It is understood all outstanding Finance questions also involve other agencies.
The Department of Workplace Relations, whose previous secretary mysteriously departed last year, had 47 unanswered questions, or 11.5 per cent.
Home Affairs had not answered 143 of 715 questions, or 20 per cent, Parliamentary records show.
But Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said the Coalition had abused questions on notice, asking hundreds more than in years prior.
"[It has] resulted in departments working through 10 times as many questions as under the previous government," he said.
Mr Burke said his department had responded to most questions, including trivial ones like requests for pictures of Ikea furniture or the specs of microwaves.
There were just 7366 questions asked in total during the 2019-2020 supplementary estimates, held during the last government.
That is 3.3 times less than the number asked in supplementary estimates this financial year. In 2018-2019, the total was even lower at 3846 questions.
Coalition senators have, in recent years, been known to ask departments myriad, seemingly trivial questions. Liberal senator Jane Hume notably asks everyone about the paper they use.
The majority of overdue questions last round were from small agencies, often with few staff and lacking immediate oversight from a minister.
The Coalition's hefty slew of questioning is likely to continue this week. You can expect to hear more in estimates, beginning February 9, about Finance's plan to cut 5 per cent of public service spending as a saving measure.
Department of Workplace Relations is expected to address ex-secretary Natalie James's sudden exit, and the Department of Veterans Affairs will be on the hook again about their poor results in the most recent State of the Service report.
It is the final round of estimates before the May budget.
Lucinda Garbutt-Young
Journalist
Lucinda Garbutt-Young is a public sector and federal politics reporter. She was previously The Canberra Times' property reporter and national video lead, after coming to the capital via the Newcastle Herald. Got a tip? Email her at l.garbutt-young@austcommunitymedia.com.au