Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I appreciate the minister's response. I understand that there is greater transparency than before, which is welcome, but, in the framework that is being proposed for greater transparency, does the govern­ment consider that it would mean that the tribunal could open up its hearings and, for instance, call for public submissions to look at comparative pay and conditions in other sectors of the economy, ask for comments from parliamentarians as to the nature of the work they do, and ask for comments from other interest groups before deciding what the appropriate level of remuneration would be? Is that something that could be done within what is being proposed, which is in addition to the current framework? In other words, is there scope for the tribunal to have that additional level of public and community input?