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

Can I ask what I think is a more pertinent question. Senator Crossin raises a tragic example of potential exploitation, which is why we will be arguing against your changes to the permit system, but is it actually the legislative intent of the government that no-one else be able to revoke the permits once issued or is it an oversight in the legislation? Is it a policy decision by government that no-one else be able to revoke them? If so, why, given that the previous act did, as you indicated, provide for other people to revoke them? Is it an oversight, given the rush with which this legislation has been put through, or are you deliberately making it easier and restricting the ability to revoke these permits? Then the rest of us in the parliament can make a decision about whether or not we support that. I think we have agreed how it applies. Is this deliberate; and, if so, why?