Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I speak to the motion that the report be adopted, to commend the adoption of report No. 6 and also to express my delight and surprise that the committee and the government accepted a number of the reference proposals that the opposition put forward to the committee, particularly in relation to some education bills and migration bills. I was also delighted and surprised that the government accepted the reporting dates that the opposition proposed.

I express my sincerest desire that the committees to which these references have been made feel under absolutely no pressure from the government to adopt reporting dates which would seek to circumvent the proper examination of the legislation that has been referred to these committees. I am sure that will not happen, but it would be disturbing if these committees felt pressured by the government to perhaps report earlier than the date which has been agreed upon by the committee and the dates which have been accepted by the Senate chamber.

I thought it was important to put on record my pleasure and delight at the work of the committee, the fact that it looks like the chamber will unanimously adopt this report, and that it would be a bad precedent if pressure were brought to bear on the committees in question to seek to subvert the will expressed by the committees and the will that is, I think, about to be expressed by this chamber. I am sure all interested stakeholders will be watching closely.

Question agreed to.