Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

As I indicated in my speech on the second reading, I proposed to move two amendments to provide the parliament with some oversight of the regulatory process. Unfortunately, the amendments as they have been prepared do not permit some practices that are currently allowed to go ahead. That is not what I was looking to see occur as part of this process. I have looked at modifying my amendments to see whether they can relate specifically to the changes to the existing legislation that are proposed by this bill, but even that appears to be quite problematic.

It is not my desire to remove current practices that are permitted by existing legislation, regulation or in fact guidelines. So in that context it is my intention to request the permission of the chamber to withdraw my amendments. But I am having conversations at the moment in relation to the conduct of an inquiry into the regulations that oversee these practices nationally with a view to having a further look at how these can be brought together. As I said in my second reading speech, how these practices are regulated and legislated across the states is inconsistent. It is my view, as I said in that speech, that there is a desire to see an overarching national regulatory approach to this. It has already been indicated by two states that if this legislation is not passed they are prepared to go ahead with it on their own. In my view, a national approach to this is much more favourable than an ad hoc approach by different states. We have seen even in the last 24 hours the different approaches that can be taken on HRT, including Steve Conroy and the terrific outcome from surrogacy, and there is a whole range of issues that I think can be dealt with. It is illegal in one state but it is legal in another. So there is a whole range of issues that can be dealt with across the board. So I will not be proceeding with my amendments but I will be looking to see a committee of inquiry put in place that deals with the broader range of overarching national regulatory approach.