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

I appreciate the question from the good senator because what she draws attention to of course is the government expressing the view that has been held by successive governments about initiation of money bills in the Senate. Successive governments have received the same advice and have acted upon that advice.

It is also the case that traditionally the Senate Clerk, both the previous one and I think the current one, has taken a different view about the role of the Senate in relation to money bills. But it has been the view of the previous government and this government that those money bills ought not be initiated in the Senate. I sought to provide that advice to the President regarding Senator Nash’s private member’s bill. I would advise the Senate that Senator Nash’s bill was referred to a Senate committee for inquiry in accordance with normal practice, despite her attempt to guillotine through the parliament in an hour her bill without any reference to a committee to try and sidestep the normal processes of the Senate in order to pursue a political stunt.

I would also remind the Senate that this bill sought to walk away from the political arrangement which the coalition entered into only some six months ago; that in fact Senator Nash sought to rat on that arrangement because it was now politically expedient to do so. The coalition not only sought to rat on the arrangement; they sought to overturn their long-term commitment to not abusing the processes of the Senate in dealing with bills. So I suspect Senator Nash ought to look at her own behaviour in dealing with this matter.