David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

It is undeniable that there may, in some circumstances, be adverse consequences that far outweigh the adverse impact, if there is one, of the granting of the precertificate notice. If I were to crank up my imagination I could think of myriad times whereby the minister, in consultation with state governments, looking at a blackout, a brownout—whatever you want to call it—would need to have flexibility. If the threshold of a mandatory prevention or prohibition were there his hands would be tied, and if there were something good to flow from it he would be prevented from accessing it.