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

I understand that there have been about 100 contacts with the department with respect to this measure, but it should be recognised that many of those contacts were duplicate or multiple contacts on behalf of particular individuals. So you cannot extrapolate that number of contacts to reflect the number of individuals who have sought to express their concern about the measure. It is also important to recognise that, of the approximately 580 people who were contacted in September of this year, some 400 people have not responded to that letter. That would make one think that they are comfortable with what has been expressed in that letter.

It is not to say, though, Senator Scullion, that people are not concerned about the measure. A number of speakers in the second reading debate talked about the concerns that they have had expressed to them. Those concerns are shared by the government, and that is why we are bringing in these amendments to ameliorate the impact of this measure. We want to make sure that it is fair to those people who are vulnerable. Senator Boyce talked about vulnerable people. We are making sure with the amendments that we are currently debating that those people will be managed very carefully. We know there are some very vulnerable people in that group, and we are looking out for them. We want to ensure that the amendments that we are putting before the chamber this evening will look after their interests.