Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

There is one issue that Senator Wright raised earlier that I would like to go back to for a moment, because she was asking questions in relation to revisions to the explanatory memorandum, which arises also from some of the recommendations of the intelligence committee. For the committee's benefit, I should indicate that my understanding is that a revised explanatory memorandum or supplementary additions to the explanatory memorandum will be dealt with when this bill is dealt with in the House. It concerns me that questions relating to such matters be dealt with in the Senate consideration. I can understand the Greens' frustration that—at least in the earlier stages—some of their questions did not appear to be progressed in the committee consideration. I take Senator Brandis's point now that he is dealing with some questions as they are being presented and I would encourage him to consider to do so, because, whilst the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has considered some of these things in detail and satisfied the Labor Party's concern, we do not think that that is a substitute for the role of the Senate committee stage consideration of a bill. We would encourage that consideration to continue in a substantive manner.

I earlier provided the Labor Party's position on all of the government amendments and what we understood them to be doing and why we were supporting them. Any other substantive matters that need to be raised should be addressed at this stage.