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

I first have to apologise to the Leader of the House. I indicated that I would not seek the call unless provoked and all I have proved is that I am easily provoked. But I could not let some of the more recent contributions to the debate on this legislation, Migration Legislation Amendment (The Bali Process) Bill 2012, go without response. It is a bit rich for those that sit on the other side to lecture us about the processes of the Australian Labor Party. The position that we are in tonight shows that the Australian Labor Party—a broad church—can reach a position of compromise. What those opposite are proposing to us is that we should move even further to join with a force that has not in any way moderated its position. That is my concern.

I pay a little tribute to the member for Boothby because he—somebody from the other side—finally mentioned the Bali process. I am not critical of the Deputy Speaker and the second Deputy Speaker for allowing a second reading debate to be revisited on consideration in detail but, if this had been a true consideration in detail debate, we might have looked at the clauses of this bill. While I am happy to refer to the bill as the Oakeshott bill, we might have reminded ourselves that it actually has a title and in that title is 'Bali process'. It is based on involving countries that are party to the regional cooperation framework. That is clause 198AA on line 29 of page 6—a true consideration in detail observation.

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