Government Accountability

The Government is accountable to Parliament, which performs its functions in this respect using various means. Any senator may put questions to the Government [in order to seek information or explanations on particular issues from the ministers responsible, or to learn which measures have been adopted or are planned to be introduced in relation to any issue] or interpellations [i.e. questions put to the Government regarding the motives or intentions underlying its conduct on matters of particular importance or general nature].
Investigations into matters of public interest may be conducted through purposefully esatablished Committees either in the Senate or jointly with the Chamber.
Such a Committee is vested with the same powers and subject to the same limitations as the courts. Information material and documents may be acquired by a Standing Committee through fact-finding enquiries. At the end of the enquiry, a final report may be adopted, which is then printed for distribution.