Cory Bernardi (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Hansard source

Listening to Senator Xenophon and Senator Siewert reinforces the coalition’s concerns that this bill has a number of very deep flaws in it. Our original proposal was to excise the bill when we foreshadowed these amendments as circulated through the chamber. After consideration of Senator Xenophon’s and Senator Siewert’s foreshadowed amendments, the coalition will not be proceeding with amendment (1) on the basis that we are prepared to work to improve—some would say ‘salvage’—a bill that is deeply flawed. I think that has been acknowledged by the crossbenchers and the opposition today. So the opposition withdraw amendment (1) standing in our name and we will consider the other amendments on their merits.