Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I have just been advised by the Vietnam Veterans Federation that they have not seen the changes to the explanatory memorandum resulting from their concerns. They understand that the Greens had negotiated some amendments, but they had not seen them. Senator Wright, I was reflecting on the fact that you had been given these changes—not you personally. The fact remains that you were shown amendments to the EM by the government to ensure your support for schedule 2, knowing that the government did not have the support of the opposition in relation to schedule 2 because of the concerns of the ex-service community. You ultimately, Senator Wright, will need to make a decision in about two minutes time as to whether you think it is appropriate for one political party to negotiate the terms of an explanatory memorandum when the ex-service organisations, who have expressed a real concern about this, have indicated in a Senate inquiry that there has not been appropriate consultation. You will have an opportunity to say whether you think that is acceptable.

This is not a reflection on you at all, Senator Wright, but it is most certainly a reflection on your party. Following all the talk from the Australian Greens about consultation and doing the right thing, about making sure the process is right, here is an opportunity for them to prove that this was not a political stitch-up between the government and the Greens in relation to this change in the addendum to the explanatory memorandum. Here is the opportunity for her to say that they actually do agree with due process. Here is the opportunity for her, in about two minutes time, to say that they are not prepared to let this go through until they have canvassed appropriately and properly the views of the ex-service organisations and only then will they support the three schedules; only then will they support schedule 2.

I direct this to the parliamentary secretary as well as to Senator Wright: having had confirmation that the Vietnam Veterans Federation has not seen the changes, how can this chamber possibly countenance this matter being dealt with now? How can we possibly countenance completely ignoring the views of organisations who have been participants in this process? How can the Australian Greens support such an abuse of process by forcing this legislation to be dealt with before we get the views of those ex-service organisations? How can the parliamentary secretary and the government possibly countenance forcing this chamber to deal with this matter until they have actually consulted with the participants in this process, one of whom took substantial time to involve themselves in the Senate inquiry process? How can that be a reasonable outcome for this chamber? How can anyone sitting in the gallery say this is an appropriate process for this parliament to be involved in?

This is simple—this is not knocking off a bit of legislation which has to go back to the other place and then possibly come here and then become new legislation. All we on this side are asking—and I will speak for Senator Xenophon—is for the government to assure us that the consultation we think is appropriate has been carried out. Then we will deal with this matter. Either these organisations will be happy with it and it will go through or, if they are still not happy with it, the government has to make a decision about whether it is prepared to go against their wishes. And for what? The government says it is about to spend money anyway getting in place the systems it says it needs to address potential issues further down the track—and I said I accept that. So it can go and spend the money and then we will worry about what is in schedule 2. But it is totally inappropriate for this matter to be dealt with today before proper consultation has been carried out. These are not some mickey mouse groups that have sprung up after a good spring rain. This is the RSL, this is Legacy, this is the Vietnam Veterans Federation. Surely to goodness they deserve the respect of this chamber enough to be consulted on this matter. I move:

That the committee report progress and ask leave to sit again.

Question put.

The committee divided.    [13.11]

(The Chairman—Senator Parry)

Senator Wong did not vote, to compensate for the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Coonan.

Question negatived.