Andrew Murray (WA, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

Through you, Chairman, to the minister: I wish to raise two things. One is that I think we should not discount the great power and impact of Senate committees, because, as soon as it started meeting, the price started falling. Perhaps Senator Brandis has more influence than we think! But the other is that I did hear you say, Minister—and I was a bit taken aback by it, but maybe you would explain what you meant—that it is not appropriate for the parliament to give an instruction to the executive arm of the government. I always thought of the commission as an independent statutory authority. I find it difficult to see it in the same way as an agency or a department of the government. But perhaps that was not what you meant?