Why is there a Senate estimates and not a House estimates?

Thanks for your question, Emma.

The Australian Parliament has Senate estimates because of the role the Senate plays in holding the government accountable for how it spends public money.

Senate estimates were created by the Senate as a structured way for senators to scrutinise ministers and government department officials about the Budget and government spending. The House of Representatives has not developed the same processes and has not established ‘House estimates’.

In the House of Representatives, the government has the support of the majority of members. As a result, the government’s Budget bills pass with less scrutiny than in the Senate. The government often does not hold a majority in the Senate, so the Budget is much more closely scrutinised in the Senate than in the House.