Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

First of all, I want to thank the Senate for facilitating the consideration of all opposition amendments together. I think it is very sensible. The amendments moved by Senator Johnston reflect the outcome of very constructive negotiations with the opposition and will be supported by the government. It is important to note that these discussions were assisted by the valuable reports on the bills prepared by the Senate Standing Committee on Economics and the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Primary Industries and Resources. I place on record our thanks to the membership of both those committees for the work that they have done in informing this debate.

Senator Johnston outlined very clearly the result of the adoption of those amendments, so I will not take the Senate’s time to go through that. On behalf of the minister, I want to thank the opposition spokespeople who have had carriage of the legislation, Mr Ian Macfarlane and Senator Johnston, for their assistance and the cooperative way in which their offices and the office of the minister have operated. The government will be supporting the opposition amendments.