Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Hansard source

In relation to Senator Fielding’s proposed amendments, it is entirely unclear that there is actually a problem here. In the committee stage Senator Bernardi asked some very direct questions of Senator Stephens, who gave assurances that a scenario like that outlined by Senator Fielding was highly unlikely to eventuate. Obviously we cannot stop people from committing an act of fraud. We cannot stop a doctor from falsely filling out a form; that is not something we can address in this place. I think the chamber needs to rely on the government’s assurances that this is not a problem. Senator Boyce also extensively ventilated these issues in Senate estimates and her concerns were satisfied. Senator Joyce, who is in the chamber, is known to be not unsympathetic to some of the concerns that Senator Fielding traditionally has in this area.

I think it is important that this chamber resist the temptation to look for proxy wars or ways of waging a proxy battle on the issue of abortion. It is a very serious issue. It is one where people have very strongly held feelings, but this particular piece of legislation the opposition does not believe is the place to have those discussions. Discussions are not relevant to that particular subject on the basis that we have the assurance from the government that there is not an issue here. I am sure that if over time it did appear that there was a problem then government, opposition and everyone in the chamber would combine to rectify that. But it is not clear at all to the opposition that there is a problem. For that reason the opposition will not be supporting Senator Fielding’s proposed amendments.