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

Again we go back to usual process, because the government did not table before the Senate a response. In fact, it did not table a response before the House. As Senator Moore was pointing out, there has not been an opportunity to canvass before the parliament the government's view about the appropriate response to that 2014 report. The minister stands there and attempts to argue that this is not a rush and it is not an attempt to ram through the legislation. Once again he is relying on what seems to be his one key line, which is 'Labor luminaries'. As I pointed out, I could continue to stand here and talk about 'Liberal luminaries' until the cows come home, but it is not really a policy rationale for the approach to be taken.

More concerning about the policy rationale are several issues that I will come to. I will stay on the issue of the consideration of the JSCEM committee's recommendations. Senator Cormann came into this place at 10.08 on the morning that the JSCEM report was tabled in the House. I think it was tabled at about 9.05 by the chair in the House. By 10.08 Senator Cormann is telling us:

The government has considered the issues raised and the recommendation of the joint standing committee to introduce a form of optional preferential voting below the line …

I can accept that the minister was watching the hearings, still hiding behind a department that he was not prepared to allow to front the committee—just remember that bit. He is studiously sitting in his office, following the hearings, following the issues, talking to a few people about their views on these issues. But when I ask a really basic question, which is: when did government consider? He then says, 'After the report' and 'I had a chat with a few fellows.' Seriously! Is that the way this government functions? Did the amendments before the Senate now go before cabinet?