Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That order of the day No. 17, private members’ business, Assisting the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Bill 2010—Second reading—Resumption of debate, be discharged.

I thank the Leader of the House for granting leave. If I may, very briefly, indicate to the House my pleasure and pride that, this morning, the Attorney-General moved a government bill in substantially similar terms to the private member’s bill which I have had before this House for some time. I want to congratulate the Attorney for the very constructive attitude that he has taken on this matter.

I thank the government for seeing sense on this subject. Perhaps it took a little longer to see sense than I would have liked; nevertheless, it is good that both the government and opposition have been able to come together on this important subject to try to ensure that Australians who are killed or injured as a result of terrorist acts are treated appropriately, in ways analogous to the victims of crime under state and territory legislation.

There is perhaps one outstanding matter, and that is whether the government bill, once it has gone through the parliament and been assented to, will have retrospective operation, whether the government will, in fact, use the bill to declare terrorist acts—such as the two Bali bombings, the two Jakarta bombings, September 11 and the London bombings—as it could, so that the victims of those bombings will receive the compensation available to them under the government’s proposed new act. I hope that will be the case. The government, as I understand it, is yet to determine that matter.

I go back to the beginning of these brief remarks: I thank the government, I appreciate the work that the Attorney and his department have done and I hope that this bill has a swift passage through the parliament.

Question agreed to.