Max Chandler-Mather (Griffith, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I understand that the member for Indi is intending to move amendments separately. I won't seek to speak on all the amendments but would like to express support for all of the member for Indi's amendments.

These amendments all respond to the expert evidence received in the hearings and to the broad consensus on how to make the NACC independent and deliver on the mandate of the last election. Amendments to explicitly include pork-barrelling, collusive tendering and fraudulent appointments respond directly to revelations in the last few years. The public has been very clear that they think the NACC should be able to consider these matters.

Removing the exceptional circumstances test is supported by the Greens and by the majority of the evidence heard during the inquiry into the bill. The alternative proposed definition for exceptional circumstances as 'circumstances in which it is preferable or appropriate for evidence to be given in public' likewise appropriately clarifies the clause instead of leaving it as a potentially insurmountable obstacle to public hearings.

Amendment (8) changes the chair of the committee as being elected by the committee and not being a member of the government party, which removes the current government control of the oversight committee. You're setting a committee up to fail if you have it controlled by the government of the day whose actions regarding funding are likely to be one of the major things that has to be considered.

Likewise, amendment (10) requires the minister to table a statement of reasons if the government deviates from the recommendations of the parliamentary committee on budgets. This provides an opportunity for the community to be informed if the NACC's budget is less or more than requested and why this might be. The need for the committee to oversight the budget is to stop criticism-sensitive governments from hacking into the budget and stopping the commission from doing its important work. Amendment (11) requires that for decisions about appointing the commissioner, deputy commissioner and inspector the decision to approve or reject must be made by a majority of the committee, including at least two government members and two non-government members.

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