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

It is a matter that I am not going to support, though I understand the motivation behind it. It goes beyond the committee’s recommendations. It would have been helpful to explore the issue during that committee process to then hear some of the responses. We will get an opportunity to hear the government response as to why it may not be reasonable to put the word ‘place’ in there—it can sometimes have an unintended consequence. I do not want to rely on that. I am going to oppose the amendment on the short principle that I have not had an opportunity to look at it in depth and the committee has not had an opportunity to explore it. I am not closed on it; I will certainly listen to what the government has to say in respect of this proposal. But short of any of that or hearing a convincing argument from the government as to accepting it, Labor will continue its opposition to it.