Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Coonan. There was an unseemly haste, it would appear, and I think the Australian people are entitled to an explanation because we have been told that this was a well-thought-out package.

So whilst the minister tells us that, he might also tell us why the leader of the government in this place asserted that this package of bills had to be through parliament by last Friday, because the uncontradicted evidence to the Senate committee, on which Senator Coonan and I and others served, by Mr Pratt and other officials was that if this package were to be passed by this Friday they would still deliver everything according to the timetable of 11 March. So why the bullying and why the hectoring? Indeed, why the misleading of the Australian people and the Senate in trying to rush this through rather than allowing a proper analysis, which has already exposed two errors in the UEFO document? I suspect there are some more that I have not stumbled across as yet. So, Minister, if you would address the issue of whether you are willing to admit that the $97 million was in fact a mistake—that might be a good start—but also then tell us about the timetable as to when final sign-off was given for the document prior to it going to the printer.