Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I can confirm Senator Bartlett’s view that he has not persuaded the opposition sufficiently for us to support his amendments. We took the lead from the committee report. It made two specific recommendations about this. We otherwise agreed with the content of the bill. The recommendations highlighted two issues that the bill was deficient in addressing. These further amendments that you have proposed have not had sufficient scrutiny. Therefore, on that basis we will not be supporting them. However, when you bring forward amendments (10) and (13), move those separately, because you have persuaded us—unless the government can dissuade us by their argument—that those might in fact deserve support. I do not want to encourage you to make more amendments, but there is an argument that the government needs to address here. Failing the government addressing it, we might offer our support if you move those separately.

Question negatived.