Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I urge other senators to support this suspension of standing orders motion. I also take this opportunity to respond to the assertion that the opposition is simply trying to delay government business. The Attorney-General should reflect on yesterday in this place, when the opposition with other members of the Senate passed I think 11 bills and started debate on the 12th. We ably assisted the government with its legislative program yesterday. That shows you that where there is proper process—where there is a government program that is set out, organised and foreshadowed—you will find the opposition cooperating.

But on this bill we have seen an absolute shambles. This bill, which seemingly was of no priority, suddenly became a priority. It was whisked through cabinet and the government's own processes in the party room and into this place. We were given one morning for a committee to inquire into it and report back to the chamber at the commencement of proceedings today. Now the government wants to move straight into second readers. The Attorney-General in his contribution said: 'There are 20 or so second readers, so no matter there. We can get on with that'—without actually seeing the amendments.

So all senators who would like to contribute could do so without actually knowing what the government intends the final legislation to look like. Perhaps your support or opposition will hinge on some of the amendments. We do not know, because we have not seen them. We might get them today. The Attorney did not actually go to where the amendments are at, despite the request by Senator Wong in her presentation that the government provide some indication of where those amendments are at, how many there are and what they go to. None of that was addressed in the Attorney's contribution today.

We saw last week the government seeking to use the Senate as a rubber stamp for their own political difficulties and their own political agenda. This is what this suspension of standing orders motion goes to. We must stand up and protect the role of this chamber for a start and protect established practice. We must require the government to follow proper process, which would normally be a bill gets introduced, it heads off for a reasonable committee process and it comes back to the chamber with notice and, if there are to be amendments, the amendments are foreshadowed and people are provided an opportunity to have a briefing on those amendments and perhaps to consult on them. We hear rumours that the Human Rights Commission may not support some of the amendments that the government is proposing. We do not know, because we have not seen them. Perhaps we would like the opportunity to seek the view of the Human Rights Commission about the way they do their work and whether the government amendments are actually going to assist that work or frustrate it. Again we do not know.

The Senate must stand up for itself. It cannot become a patsy of the government. It is meant to be here as a check on executive power. That is the role that we are asked to do. To fulfil our role in this place we must stand up for proper process. We cannot continue to have this chamber used as a rubber stamp for the government. That is what happened last week and that is what is being attempted here today. Last week it was the different deals, that we are still not fully aware of, and the price of those deals—certainly, the price that families pay. It is a serious issue, family tax payments and child care. The price that Australians will pay is serious, as is the outcome of last week. Again, we cannot allow this.

I have had representations right across my community about this bill. They expect the Senate to take it seriously. They want a rational and informed debate. We are simply asking to shift the debate from today to Thursday. It is not like we are sending it off to the never-never. We understand the political difficulties. It is, actually, not our issue that you have internal political difficulties of this. We are simply asking that debate proceed on Thursday, not today. That is not a big ask but what it does say to the government is that when the Senate needs to do its job it will stand up, against the executive, and make sure that we are given the time and opportunity to do that job and do it seriously. This is a serious bill and it deserves serious consideration.