Philip Ruddock (Berowra, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

I notice the honourable member had some comments to make about my bizarre behaviour, but I will make this point in relation to the amendment proposed: it would be a rather unique legislative course of action if we were to agree to such an amendment. I do not recall amendments being introduced by Labor governments in office in relation to commitments they made and commitments that they intended to keep. In doing so, we would be binding future governments and introducing a degree of inflexibility that I would not be prepared to accept. But if the honourable member is saying that she is going to go out, distort and suggest that, because this amendment is not accepted for the reasons I have outlined, that suggests some sort of lack of commitment on our part—

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