George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

You asked me what my response is. I will tell you what my response was when I responded to those colleagues. The Australian government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community, including by providing access to justice. The legal assistance reform proposal seeks to ensure that current resources are directed to assist the most disadvantaged people in Australia with the greatest legal need to resolve their legal problems. The reform proposal also focuses on developing an integrated, sustainable legal assistance sector by encouraging greater coordination and streamlined service delivery. It is an opportune time to implement reform. Australian government funding arrangements for legal assistance providers expire on 30 June 2015. I went on over four pages to expand upon what the government proposes to do. This is a public document; I am happy to share it with you. That is my response to those colleagues.