Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak briefly in response to the matters raised by Senator Hurley in this chamber earlier today. I want to place on the record some facts that Senator Hurley did not place on the record. First, the government was advised that coalition senators would most likely not be attending the particular Senate inquiry that Senator Hurley referred to, conducted by the Senate Standing Committee on Economics. Second, the government was advised through a formal process of the Selection of Bills Committee, and also the government was advised directly, via the chairman and the secretary of the committee through verbal representations the week before the committee was held. So it was no surprise that opposition members were not going to attend this particular committee inquiry. The inquiry was a sham; there is no doubt about that. Unlike what Senator Hurley indicated to the chamber a while ago, the Senate as a whole decided to send the matter to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs with a reporting date of 5 August to give the Senate and the committee ample time to examine the issues, to examine the evidence and come back to the Senate with findings in the form of a report.

It is important when senators do make statements in relation to committee inquiries and activities within committees that all the facts are placed on the table of the chamber, and not just selective facts such as those that Senator Hurley decided to impart today. By adding these comments I hope that the public are more informed, and also that Senator Hurley understands that these matters will not go unchallenged when they are raised. This coalition has been very determined to get the full facts into the public arena, to a proper, full inquiry by the right committee that represents the right portfolio area, and that committee can report back to the Senate in due course.