Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The senator says that the government was wrong to do that, but he voted for it at the time. There has been a second reading vote which has passed the chamber. This is the proper time for members to bring forward amendments. It is legion the number of times in which amendments have been moved in committee to all forms of legislation. This is private member’s legislation. What I do suggest is that the member is quite right: if he cannot deal with the amendments then he should vote against them. Opportunities will come later down the line, but for those members who want to move amendments, this is the proper time to do it.

When it comes to Senator Nettle’s amendments, which have been before the chamber for the whole day, they are simply putting conditions upon a component of the bill which had its second reading passed here an hour or two ago. They simply qualify that. They put a time line on it and a condition on the National Stem Cell Bank. There is a time line of six months for the minister to report to the parliament. We have voted for that. Senator Nettle is saying, ‘Let’s have legislation within two years,’ as another condition. That is not difficult to get one’s mind around, but if Senator Humphries has trouble with the process then the proper thing to do is to vote against the amendment. Likewise, it is the right of everybody who can deal with these amendments to determine whether or not they will vote for the amendments on their merits. I will be supporting these amendments from Senator Nettle.