Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

You mean chop off their heads! Senator Boyce, you have led me into that. Henry VIII only chopped off the heads of certain people. You are leading me into territory where I should not go. I will be pilloried should I respond further to your interjection. Getting back to the Henry VIII clause in the Fair Work Amendment (Transfer of Business) Bill, the committee has pointed out that the explanatory memorandum did not give any reason as to why it should be that the executive government, by regulation, could change the primary legislation passed by this parliament. So, it is not whether the committee gets involved in whether that is good, bad or indifferent; it simply points it out. The committee has resolved to seek advice from the minister whether there is a justification for it. When the justification comes from the minister—and I suspect there will be a justification—that will be presented to the parliament. I mention those couple of things as a short indication of the work done by the committee in alerting the Senate to matters which should be considered when the Senate considers these bills in their more substantive form.

Question agreed to.