Gary Humphries (ACT, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the Senate for its indulgence. In the course of the debate about the Australia Council Bill, I believe Senator Milne made reference to concerns raised by the coalition with respect to the absence of certain provisions in the amendments moved by Senator Brandis. Senator Milne suggested, in making those remarks, that Senator Brandis—and me as a co-author of those amendments—had been in some way derelict in our duty to make sure that these amendments were properly drafted. It is obvious the amendments did properly include reference to such things as the fostering of freedom of speech and a practice of the arts. It made reference to such things as promotion, understanding and enjoyment of the arts. But it is absolutely not true to say, as Senator Milne suggested, that other provisions had been left out because they are implicitly— (Time expired)