Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I would just like to add my comments to those of Senator Xenophon. It is offensive in the extreme and, presumably, by invoking the urgency of this bill, Senator Brandis, you are accusing us of endangering people's safety and security by doing our jobs in here. And if that is what is insinuated, that is utterly offensive. There is a Bills Digest here and I have not even had time to count the number of times where the committee have said:

The committee draws Senators’ attention to the provisions, as they may be considered to trespass unduly on personal rights and liberties, in breach of … the committee’s terms of reference.

Quite a number of these have been brought to the chamber's attention and it is our job to come in here and put these questions and it is yours to provide answers. You have provided written answers to the committee and we have identified that there is a standing order that will allow you to table them so that we can now consider your answers rather than having you withhold them in here. The reason why this is taking so long, Senator Brandis, to spell it out to you, through you, Chair, is that you are withholding information that, in a couple of hours, will be put into the public domain. Provide it to the Senate now, while we are debating these provisions, then we can move on. If you need the consent of the temporary chair, which is what you put to us before, I find it hard to imagine that that would not be forthcoming.