Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Before the minister answers that, I have a similar question about definitions, and perhaps he could address both at the same time. I am wondering if the minister could indicate what the term 'reckless' means in the passage that he read out here.

Before I elaborate on that, could I say I am flabbergasted that Senator Wright should be complaining about guillotining bills and restricting debate when I sat through six years of dysfunctional government supported by Senator Wright and her party, when no fewer than 150 bills were guillotined, some of them very important bills, with not one word of debate, Senator Wright. Where was your holier-than-thou opposition at that time? You were part of it. You and your party were part of that disgraceful episode in Australian politics where important legislation was indeed rammed through with not one word of debate. For you to get up and say that two days of debate is restriction really shows the hypocrisy of the Greens political party.

I support the general thrust of the government's legislation. I just want to indicate to the minister that, whilst some people say this does perhaps have restrictions on things that we might have been able to do in the past, I am one of those—and I think I speak for the majority of Australians here—who are prepared to forgo just a little bit of the freedoms that I would otherwise have had if it means that I and my family and the people that I know, love and respect are a little safer in their daily events and lives.

This is a situation which the government and the majority of Australians have not created, but it is a real situation. We are, I guess, lucky—and perhaps you make your own luck here. We are well prepared and we have in place a number of agencies and facilities that allow us to stop these terrorist acts before they happen. But I think that, when I and all Australians—indeed, all citizens of the world—see again just what happened in Canada last week, we cannot help but think that could happen here.

I have to say that for years I have left my front door of my office in Parliament House open, because I always want my office to look like it is welcoming. If people want to pop in and see me, they do it. I have to say that in the last few weeks I have started to shut the door in case someone comes through.