The change in the hearing schedule, with all eight committees sitting simultaneously across two days, rather than the previous timetable of one or two committees a day for seven days, means the parliamentary Hansard reporters will have to delay transcribing all but two hearings each day.

Government MPs voted to trial the schedule change in April, arguing that it would make the process “even more transparent and accountable” because ministers and their department heads could be grilled for longer.

But it also means opposition and minor party MPs will be spread thin, as will the media, because they will be forced to move from committee room to committee room in an attempt to monitor each hearing.

The all day hearings will see departments questioned for more than 80 hours, compared to the 50 hours or so of previous schedules. But with everything happening at once, disseminating the information will be difficult.

Racing Minister Steve Dickson said he did not believe it would be a problem.

“Estimates is always a great time of the year, it gives the opposition an opportunity to question the government,” he said.

“What I would like to know from the opposition is what is their plans for the future? We have a strong plan for a bright future for Queensland and we are going to march forward.”

When asked if the change could truly be considered to be boosting transparency, given the issues the scheduling created, Mr Dickson repeated his talking notes.

“Estimates is a great time for the opposition to scrutinise the government, but I want to know what their plan is for the future, because they don’t have one,” he said. "We have a strong plan. We are going to deliver on behalf of Queensland. As far as education, as far as health, everything is going the right way."

But was it fair?

“The opposition has a great opportunity to question the government, as they have had every year, year in, year out, but what we want to know is what their plan is for the future. That is all I’ve got to say,” he said.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson said he believed it would receive “appropriate coverage”.

“You have a lot of journalists here and obviously you’ll go to the issues that are important to you,” he said.

“I think what you’ll see is there will be appropriate scrutiny of all the areas, including my Department of Transport and Main Roads.

“We’ll see how it goes on tomorrow and Thursday.”

Mines Minister Andrew Cripps agreed.

“All of the estimates committee meetings, are of course, covered by the Hansard reporters, so there will be a public record of all of the estimates processes that goes on throughout the week. It will also be covered by the internal video footage covered by the parliament and all of the media gallery are very skilled and experienced professionals and I am sure they’ll do a terrific job,” he said.

Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the government was not “hiding” anything.

“...It will be the busiest day in the parliament on committees for some time and it is important that all of those committees be able to sit together to be able to test all of the admin, all the various things that happen around the parliament, I am sure we can get it done,” he said.

“I think all of the information will come out and all of you will get a chance to ask us questions that will carry on from the estimates questions, if you don’t feel they were answered properly.”

But the opposition is not so sure.

Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk pledged to return the estimates process to its previous incarnation if elected next year, and warned government MPs “we are ready”.

“This is not about an open and accountable government, this is about hiding from the public, hiding from media scrutiny and not facing up to the music,” she said.

“We know that they’ll be up to their dirty tricks...we know that last year committee members ran out of questions on the LNP side. I am putting them on notice today: you are paid an extra $23,000 to sit on a committee and you have your questions ready.

“Chairs, in charge of those committees, they’re paid an extra $50,000 so they need to make sure that they are up to the task.

“And to the ministers, let me say this: don’t for one minute think that you can give yes or no answers. You are paid over $300,000 and I want full answers to my questions.”

The hearings will be broadcast on the parliamentary site. Queensland’s budget estimates hearings evolved from recommendations from the Fitzgerald report, as a way of allowing scrutiny of how public money is spent.