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

In response to that, what the Labor Party believes is that certainty is more important than sometimes the process which has been outlined in the bill. Labor thinks that the legislation in this instance would benefit from that greater certainty being provided to the courts in that instance. It is disappointing that the government will not pick up the amendment to ensure certainty to ensure that the courts, when dealing with these amendments, have the ability to make orders that are necessary and expedient for the circumstances that the Labor Party has outlined in moving that amendment. Nevertheless, we do see the numbers in this place and know that the reality is that the government will prevail. But we do make the point that it would be helpful if the government did pick it up. We note that they are not going to pick it up, but as I said we are not going to die in a ditch over it. But we do hope that the government do not come back here with a technical amendment to deal with it in the future.