John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise, very briefly, to address some of the issues that have been canvassed in this debate. I hear what Senator Brown has said. As a backbench Labor senator I am not involved in the key decision-making processes which lead the opposition to determine how it might approach the many and varied committee references that come before the chamber. I can assure the Senate that these issues are thoroughly considered and examined. I know that from my previous experience, having been involved in that sort of consideration over very many years.

What I do know is that no committee reference will succeed in this place, will be agreed to in this place, if the government does not support it. What I also know is that no select committee will be established in this place to inquire into a matter of importance unless the government agrees to such a proposal. That is a fact of life. That has been a fact of life since 1 July 2005. It has been the situation in this chamber now for almost one long, hard year that these references, these proposals, whatever their merits, are not going to be agreed to unless the government decides that it approves of such proposals.

We also understand, from what has been said, that changes to the committee system of this place have been flagged by the government. I do not have the detail of that proposal. I think Senator Bob Brown knows a little more about this than I do, but I will find out about it because I know that the current paired committee system of legislation and references committees was agreed to by this chamber as a result of a proposal that I put—a motion that I moved—and, I would like to think, is strongly supported in this chamber. Of course it was also supported by the opposition of the day. I will examine those issues in greater detail when I am aware of the proposal that Senator Brown has flagged to this committee. Of course, Senator Brown, if what you say is correct and proposals have been flagged to change the committee system and they are as wide-ranging as you are suggesting—