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

Just because something is current practice does not mean that, given the change in this legislation, the minister cannot come into this place at a later time and say, ‘I am abiding by the legislation.’ As I read it at this stage, all it says is that capped assistance and uncapped assistance will be advised. Now we are being told all of a sudden about the toolmakers, the component makers and whoever else and that it will be split up even further. I welcome that as a further development in transparency. We know that but for our public call for greater transparency clause 27A would not be in the bill. We also know now, courtesy of the minister, that there may be certain things in the regulations, which, of course, makes my point very strongly: this is once again coathanger legislation where we are told, ‘Trust us with the regulations to do the right thing.’

Our scheme had about 120 pages of legislation; Senator Carr’s scheme only has 20 pages or thereabouts. Of course, his regulations will be a lot more detailed and we as a parliament will not have the capacity to amend them. That is why this is also very much a fundamental principle, because we as a Senate will only have the opportunity to accept or reject the regulations. We cannot amend.

I am also interested to know whether the minister did actually inform the sector as to the consequences of them coming under a grant scheme.