Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I express the Greens’ deep concern that the government is missing an opportunity to properly review this act. The government, in its budget papers, articulated what I thought was a commitment to reviewing the act. It has allocated the minimum amount of resources that it can. As we have repeatedly said in this chamber, the act is desperately in need of reform. A review was done in 1996 which clearly said there was a need for reform.

Senator Hill committed to a review in 2003 and, if you read his words, I think it is fair to interpret that it was to be a comprehensive, public review. We are now getting a secret, internal review in which the government chooses whom to speak to. We, the community, do not find out what the stakeholders have said about this legislation. We do not know if it will be adequate. We do not know if it will be comprehensive. This government should rethink how it is going to approach this legislation and this review so as to deliver a comprehensive and adequate review that fully consults all stakeholders, that is public, that accepts public submissions and that enables the community to fully assess the full implications of this act.

Debate interrupted.