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

I will take a moment to respond to the Greens second reading amendment before Senator Brandis winds up this debate. The Greens second reading amendment would defer consideration of this bill until the government provides a full response to the letter from the Communications Alliance tabled by Senator Ludlam today. That letter expressed concern about the government's contribution to costs of the scheme for industry. Labor does call on the government to work with industry to finalise arrangements around the costs of this scheme. We have been clear all along that the government should be transparent about the costs of this scheme with both industry and the public.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security made a number of recommendations about how costs would be met. Chief among them was that the government should meet a substantial proportion of those costs. However, there is no need to hold up this bill while final details of costs are settled. The government has assured us and the public that it will honour the committee's recommendations in full. I also note that the letter tabled by Senator Ludlam does not ask the government to delay this legislation.