George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

No, I won’t, Senator Wong. But let me state on the record that there were some who criticised the opposition for referring this legislation to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs and who accused—quite wrongly—the opposition of engaging in delaying tactics. We now know that even the government accepts that the amendments that emerged from that committee’s inquiry were desirable amendments. I think no-one was more strident in their criticism of the opposition for referring this bill to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee than Dr John Challis, the convenor of the Comsuper Action Committee who represented public sector workers and was a witness at the hearings of the committee that subsequently took place. On 20 November I received an email from Dr Challis. In it, among other things, he said this:

Thank you for including the backdating amendments in the bill, which, as you will recall, I argued strongly for at the Senate inquiry mainly because of the then critical condition of my committee colleague—

and I will not mention the gentleman’s name—

Fortunately, his health has improved and he is elated by the passage of the bill.

Although at the time I was very critical of the opposition’s decision to refer the bills to a Senate inquiry, I have to agree with you that it did improve the bill and facilitated their passage through the Senate.

Warmest regards and thanks,

John Challis