Harry Jenkins (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

That was from a Liberal about this piece of legislation. We have seen this sort of thing so often. I know it is a worry, but I am even starting to watch the debates in the Senate because they are quite intriguing. When I left to come down to this chamber they were discussing the Trade Practices Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2005, which was debated in this chamber yesterday, and it was quite instructive.

People might dismiss members of the National Party in the Senate as only being members of the junior coalition party, but they are still members of the coalition. They are still raising some interesting questions. The government in the Senate has to depend upon the Independents—the smaller parties—and now questions are being raised about the motivations of the smaller parties. On the assumption that the government, in its arrogance, will not understand the virtue of pulling the bill at this stage so that it does not progress through this chamber, when it goes to the Senate and there is a debate it will not only be restless people on their own backbench who are looking at the piece of legislation; the minor parties will also be looking at it.

That is an indication of the lack of discipline of the government and of their haziness and lack of focus. It is a further indication of the way in which so often in recent times the government have been on the back foot. As you would know, I place great importance upon what a national government sets out to achieve for the environment. I think we should consider the environment in the widest context. It needs to be done with a whole-of-government view and in a way which embraces the community. Businesses of all sizes should be involved and members of the community should be involved and encouraged. But when you pick up the Melbourne Age of today, on page 7 you read a headline: ‘Fed up with inaction: Pratt gives up on his water crusade’.

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