Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I rise to support the statement of the chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. The committee, in discharging its responsibility, considers all facets of the work we do. The members of the committee consider the bills, which then go on to become legislation that impacts on the lives of all Australians, in the context of the instruments of the UN conventions. The compatibility statements in the first iterations had some shortcomings, but the work that the committee has done has certainly developed an awareness within the agencies for which individual ministers are responsible. The degree of detail now is making the discussions much easier. One of the elements the committee will always face is that those bills have some challenging elements in them, but the spirit and intent within the committee is to ensure that the business of the parliament is effective while at the same time having regard for the human rights of Australians in the context of the bills that pass through both chambers.

I compliment the chair on the work he does, as well as all the members and the secretariat, and on the way we have approached these issues. I compliment them on the deliberations we have had in respect of all those matters we have had to consider, including those that are sometimes challenging—and continue to be challenging—and which will remain part of further discussions that occur. I acknowledge the chair's address to the chamber and the committee's work.

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