Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The question to the minister is: did he consult more widely before the Prime Minister intervened? Did the Prime Minister speak to people like Senator Parry, who live in neighbouring communities, about the wisdom of such an intervention? Does he share the concerns of the Burnie City Council and his own government senator Senator Parry that in fact this intervention will have a terrible effect on the other services provided in the region? Minister, why didn’t the government consult the Minister for Finance and Administration or its own senators before rushing off for this ill-thought-through proposal? Why didn’t you assess the impact on other communities before taking this step?