Santo Santoro (Queensland, Liberal Party, Minister for Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to put on the record that the reason why this debate is going nowhere is that, with respect, the scenarios that are being put up by Senator Allison in particular are far-fetched. Those far-fetched scenarios include the possibility that we may want to appoint to the council six representatives with expertise in ethics. This government, in terms of its appointments, appoints on the basis of merit and, particularly in the case of what we are debating, on the basis of relevant expertise. We do not have any ideological bent that will prompt us to appoint to the council six people with expertise in ethics, just as we do not have an ideological bent that means we will not appoint to the council people with union connections, or members or officials of unions.