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

Listening to Senator Cormann here now, we hear repeated versions of much the same thing. He cannot justify the process that has occurred here. He shields both himself and the Department of Finance and once again now tries to argue that the committee stage here in the Senate is a reasonable substitute for a proper Senate committee inquiry. That is a joke, and the fact that you have convinced the Greens of that is a joke.

Senator Ian Macdonald interjecting—

Senator Macdonald, let me remind you of one element of that Senate committee inquiry. That Senate inquiry involved the Greens—Senator Rhiannon—siding with the government three times to prevent the department from appearing. Do you know what the bigger joke of it was? She then asked questions of the AEC, and they said, 'Senator, that is a political matter—you would need to ask the department that.' If we are forced to deal with this tonight, we will have lots of questions for the department and a very detailed consideration. If we are forced to go down the path of a proper inquiry in this chamber, we will do so.