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

I think it would be very, very prudent to take that on notice. I would not think this bill would come back until well after question time. Unless the government is going to gag me, I will be here at 10 seconds to two. I assure the parliamentary secretary that, until we find out what the views of the RSL, the Vietnams Veterans Federation and Legacy are, as is only appropriate, we will continue debating this matter. I will be very careful about the way I put this: I am taking the parliamentary secretary at face value because I acknowledge that the parlia­mentary secretary does not have personal knowledge of this matter and the parlia­mentary secretary has taken advice from departmental and ministerial staff on this matter. If it is incorrect, I will hold him to account only to the extent that he was providing the chamber with information he had been provided with. But he will not be surprised to know that I will be very deeply concerned if the advice that has been given today is incorrect. If, indeed, it is correct that the document was passed around the table on 26 August, was there a consultation process put in place for that circulated document?