Labor using estimates to turn up the head on Coalition

The Australian 1:00am April 8, 2019

Richard Ferguson

Labor plans to use a week of Senate estimates hearings to hold the government’s feet to the fire over taxpayer-funded advertising before the election is called.

The Australian understands the government’s post-budget ads rollout will be probed by opposition senators in Canberra, and they plan to continue attacking the government over issues like energy supplements, environment grants and Joe Hockey.

Labor Senate leader Penny Wong noted last week’s estimates led to the disclosure that Newstart recipients were added to a series of one-off energy payments while the Treasurer’s budget speech was still being delivered on Tuesday.

“Senate estimates has uncovered the utter chaos that characterises the government’s 2019 budget,” she said. “Even before the ink on the budget papers was dry, they were being rewritten, with a backflip that blew an $80 million hole in the budget.”

This week’s Senate estimates are new hearings that allow Labor to go back to topics aired last week, with government senators unable to stop them.

It is expected Senator Wong will seek further information on Australia’s ambassador to the US, Joe Hockey, after estimates heard he is the director of two businesses that have their registered address as the official ambassador’s residence in Washington.