Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Hansard source

And you have been in trouble before for your foolish interjections across the chamber. But let me say this: charities and not-for-profits across Australia realise that these amendments do not repair the holes in this bill. Before the government introduced this new level of regulation, charities and not-for-profits in this country were travelling along perfectly well. The government then decided, in negotiation with the states, that they would implement new rules for charities and not-for-profits. But all that has happened is that the states have kept all their regulations and the Commonwealth has imposed a new raft of regulations across the sector. The Catholic sector and the independent schools have stood up and said: 'We already comply with 50 state bills; we already comply with about 20 Commonwealth bills. All you are doing is introducing a new level of regulation with which you expect us to comply.'

So the government, with their facade consultation, went away and came back with these amendments, which they think will solve the problem. But when is the government going to get one bill right in this House so that it does not require amendment upon amendment, even when it is being introduced? We have already voted on the second reading. In the consideration in detail the government so incompetently introduced its own amendments.

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