David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice and Customs) Share this | Hansard source

But they are not the rep body. Nothing in here makes any corporate law firm a rep body. What Senator Crossin needs to understand is that the functions of a rep body—and if it is a rep body now it will get priority to be a rep body after these provisions are passed—have not changed. Rep bodies are funded by the Australian government under the act to provide the service, to adhere to the statutory functions that the act commands of them. The functions are not changed in any shape or form. The obligations to represent their clients, the beneficiaries in native title matters, have not at all been diminished.