Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for this question. The government has supplied the information on the modelling of the impact on households and on prices. The government’s commitment was that it would structure the compensation package to meet those costs. That modelling was released when we debated this legislation twice in this parliament—I do not quite understand how it is that the opposition now wants to debate it again before the bill actually comes back to the Senate.

As I say, the opposition have had two chances to debate the bill, to seek to amend it if they thought it needed improving and to pass the bill, but now it seems they are more interested in discussing it, having already defeated it twice. The parliament will get the chance to vote on this legislation again and I hope the interest they are now showing in our legislation will be represented in their approach to it when it comes back. The package of compensation was announced by the government, it was made clear that it was focused on—