Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Briefly, basically I agree with the comments made by the shadow minister in the last components of her contribution. There is no doubt about that. I think we are all as one in terms of the significance and importance of this and the fact that the POW memorial in Ballarat is a fantastic memorial that does justice to the tremendous courage and sacrifice of those it commemorates. I look forward to being in a situation where we can in a bipartisan fashion commemorate that in the future.

I understand the tactical approach taken by the opposition to dealing with this bill. I do not agree with it, as you would expect. I would stress the point that, although I was clear on the circumstances with respect to what would occur in the lower house, as to the end result and the approach being taken I was not aware of what might occur in the Senate. I have seen plenty of occasions where an opposition—and I have been part of an opposition which has done this on occasion—has put up second reading amendments for various reasons in the lower house and then done its level best to seek amendments in the Senate of a substantive nature. That is not a new thing. Certainly it is something that for the next week the current opposition has the capacity to do, although it is a bit more problematic come September. Nonetheless I think we have covered these issues in a fair bit of detail now and I think the government’s intention is clear. I commend the bill to House.

Bill agreed to.

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