Ruth Webber (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

If you want us to refer every bill just on its title without getting a briefing from the ministers then that is the way this place will operate from here on in—you may have some issues with your friends in the government. There was bad process in this matter and bad faith on the part of the ministers in the other place, which is how we ended up with this mess, just as we ended up with the mess with the aged-care bill initially. Perhaps you should check with the members of the Selection of Bills Committee.

On the other things that Senator Ronaldson has said: indeed, the process of the conduct of the hearing and what have you was done in a very harmonious way. I think it was, yet again, good work by the economics committee in exploring some detailed issues of public policy, and we drew out some quite complex issues. To that extent, Senator Ronaldson did handle the process quite well.

He also did give us the chair’s draft of the report with a lot more speed, perhaps, than his predecessor—who I notice is also in the chamber—had done from time to time. To that extent it has been a good process. But this committee, this chamber, Senate committees, will not work when it comes to inquiring into legislation if the government will not actually give us the brief on the legislation. (Time expired)