Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you for being blunt; now I understand! I would say to you that it is in the government's interests to ensure proper a consultation process and to ensure that the commissioner is actively involved in that. I understand that the commissioner—Ms Pascoe, is it?—is a well-regarded individual in the not-for-profit sector. I do not have any doubt that the commissioner will be engaged to ensure an appropriate consultation process. If there are issues down the track which I raised with you, Senator, you do have the option, obviously, of making sure that the relevant minister is aware of that.

I should probably defend the Department of the Treasury as well, who actually consult many members of the community across a whole range of issues. But I appreciate what you are saying: the sector want to have somebody who is really engaged with their issues as part of this process, and we would envisage that that would occur.