Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Urban Development) Share this | Hansard source

It has not been five minutes. What we have here is the government finding complaint on a motion that they said they wanted us to agree to. We have proposed an amendment to provide me with an opportunity to speak to the motion, because of a shifty arrangement to prevent debate on a serious matter. I would like to conclude by making these final points.

My amendment calls for constitutional recognition of local government by way of referendum. It is not a symbolic measure, but it is of practical value. As I have previously argued, such recognition would enable local government to participate more effectively in national programs. It would enable the Commonwealth to address more effectively the vexing issue of financial support for local government. It would revitalise the relationship between the Commonwealth government and its local counterparts. It is true that this issue has been unsuccessful in previous referenda, but we must all recognise the reason for this failure: this proposal became embroiled in other political issues that predetermined an unfavourable outcome. To succeed, any referendum proposal needs bipartisan support. This is my challenge to the government. This amendment before the Senate acknowledges the importance of cooperation. By carrying this amendment, we would put that into practical effect. A bipartisan approach to constitutional recognition, as we have advocated, would have every reason for success at a future referendum. It is time that the government moved beyond platitudes, and this amendment deserves to be carried.