Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the members for their contributions to the debate. Certainly the pilots association had raised issues of privacy, as indicated by the member for Lyne, which led to the amendment moved by Senator Xenophon. Senator Xenophon consulted with my office on making sure that the concerns were alleviated; hence there was certainly consultation with my department on the wording of the amendment that has been moved to make sure that there were not any unintended consequences from the amendment.

Let me say this about the comments of the shadow minister in this case: when it comes to a decision-making alternative of privacy over safety, I concur with the views of the shadow minister. I will put that on the record so that people clearly know where I am coming from. Anyone who has been aviation minister, as the shadow minister and other members of this chamber have been, knows that it is an extraordinary responsibility that falls upon one’s shoulders. It is certainly one that I am very conscious of. When there is an aviation incident, I am normally notified within a very short period of time. When I get a phone call from my aviation adviser it is sometimes a chilling prospect if it is at an hour when he would not normally be calling me.

We do need to look after people’s privacy, and I think these provisions ensure that any concerns that existed can be dealt with, which is why the government was prepared to support them. But we really do need to make sure in all circumstances that safety is not compromised, which is what the overall legislation is directed towards. I am pleased that this legislation will be supported by every member of the House because I think that it is very important for the confidence of the travelling public that aviation safety is not a political issue but an issue that the whole parliament works towards. I am very pleased that with this legislation we have had constructive input from government members, opposition members and Independent members in both chambers. I commend the Aviation Legislation Amendment (2008 Measures No. 2) Bill 2008, as amended, to the House, and I thank the member for Lyne and the shadow minister for their cooperation and for their contributions to this debate.

Question agreed to.

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