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

I like to give credit where credit is due, honourable senators opposite, and I think that it is important we do show a generosity of spirit when that generosity of spirit is required. Getting directly to the answer that Senator Stott Despoja undoubtedly is expecting, the report was commissioned by the Prime Minister’s department to assist in developing advice to the government on the Lockhart review. The purpose of the report—and I want to stress this—was not to repeat the work of the Lockhart review or to judge the merits or otherwise from anybody’s perspective of the recommendations of the Lockhart review. I think that is a point that needs to be stressed, because it has been misconstrued, as I am sure Senator Stott Despoja would agree, by some commentators within the media who have sought to play very cheap politics about the report that the Prime Minister’s department thought was valuable enough to be commissioned to assist the government in its continuing consideration of issues which I know are of interest to everybody within this place.