Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The contributions were generous from all quarters and rightly so: it was important series of committee hearings. There was an abundance of evidence and there was a huge amount of reading and work undertaken by all members of the committee. What I am stating in my assessment is that people took a different attitude as to what this committee is all about. My view is that the Senate gave us a task. People had their opportunity to vote for or against the inquiry and the majority of the Senate gave a task to the opposition, the Australian Greens and the coalition.

As I have said in my earlier contribution, I was then tapped on the shoulder—for want of a better word—and asked to chair. I knew little or nothing about Nauru. I had no preconceived political agenda. Despite the claims of the minister of the day, labelling it a witch-hunt before it started, and despite the statements in the media about how we had orchestrated a situation where the department did not get to give evidence on a day of inquiry, the actual truth of the matter was that the timetable for that inquiry was set by Senator Reynolds and her good and honest reason of wanting to get back to Perth. I accept that. I know people who live in Perth, and I accept that it is extremely difficult travelling to and from Perth.

So we set an agenda. The agenda ran over and we were called out by the minister for not allowing the department to give 'inconvenient truths' to the inquiry. Well, the department had their day before the inquiry, and there were no inconvenient truths. In fact, as I stated in my early contribution, we actually had to write to the department reminding them of the standing order, and they said, 'Yes, we accept that we haven't been quite as forthcoming as we should, and we will do better.' So it was a partisan effort by the coalition outside of the committee.