Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Likewise, I can see no reason why a review of the nature that we have been talking about is not built into this act. I think it is very reasonable. Given the extreme, extraordinary powers that the government has given itself, I think it is absolutely essential that it be reviewed. I do not actually endorse the concept of two years. I think it is essential that we do it within one year, given that these are extraordinary powers that we are talking about. I reiterate: the government has not demonstrated any link between taking over people’s land, these extraordinary powers, and child abuse. Therefore, it is essential that it be reviewed within 12 months. Giving the minister and the government these sorts of powers, the Greens believe, is unnecessary. They claim it is necessary. They should not be afraid to demonstrate in the act that they are prepared to review, to demonstrate that they are actually having an impact and that these powers are required. I do not believe that these Henry VIII clauses are a democratic approach to government in this country.

The government are taking onto themselves extraordinary powers that they have not demonstrated are needed to enable them to deal with child abuse in the Northern Territory. They have left it until one minute to midnight to actually do anything about it, after 11 years of neglect, and now they are not even prepared to submit their own legislation to a review to see whether the extraordinary powers they are taking onto themselves are actually having an impact. There is no excuse for the government not to be putting this into legislation to require that to happen. Quite frankly, I do not believe, and I believe many Australians do not believe, that they will in fact review this publicly, in either 12 months or even the two years that the government are talking about. We do not believe that they will do that. We need to hold the government accountable, and the only way we can do that properly is through the legislative process. Why is the government scared of putting this requirement for a review into the legislation?