Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Cameron for his contribution and particularly the Labor Party for indicating that they will not be proceeding with their amendment. That is quite welcome to the government.

Senator Cameron has repeated a large chunk of what I said yesterday in our discussion in relation to the amendments in the committee stage and which I was going to repeat today, so I do not need to do that. I do need to note, however, that I do not believe that Minister Joyce was being anything other than genuine when he made the comments about the Inspector-General of Biosecurity and the government's initial approach to that position. In fact, in estimates in February Mr Bond, who was there, still is there and is still in good health, indicated that he believed that his powers would be enhanced by—