Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Chairman. The minister should be cautious in attributing intentions to anyone, particularly to other senators in this chamber. I suspect it is probably against standing orders that she so do, but again I thought my question was very reasonable. I am sorry it has upset the minister in her haste to have this urgent bill—which does not start for 19 months, I might add—dealt with before Christmas. So I am sorry if I have upset you, Minister, but my point is that when you say ‘permanence’ and the other words which you mentioned in what way are they internationally accepted? I know they are in a document you referred to, which many other people in Australia do not have access to, and I appreciate the answer as far as it goes, but what has caused those criteria to be internationally accepted? Are they what they have adopted in the European Union? Are they what they have adopted in the United States? They would not have adopted them in the United States, because I do not think the United States has a legislated position. Perhaps the minister could just indicate in what way those principles are internationally accepted.