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

There is just one problem with that answer, which is that there are provisions in the bill that remove the minister's discretion to treat a system that way. So unless his amendments deal with removing that discretion, there can be no new systems. This is why I raised this case. It may have not have been 12 months—as I said, I am quite prepared to accept that people who convey this information to us might not have their information completely accurate. But thank you—we now know, even though I have asked this question before, and we have not received comprehensive answers to the questions that were asked in the legislation inquiry. But I now know that there is an Anglican system—as I said, I cannot recall which state it was, so we still do not know that. There are a number of Anglican systems in other states that already have that status. But there is one system sitting out there, outstanding. They commenced the process on 5 February. This bill removes the minister's capacity to treat them in such a fashion, unless we see another amendment. And so they cannot be treated in the same way, Minister, unless this suggested $50 million transition fund is some discretionary ministerial bucket. If so, you have yet to describe to us the circumstances and conditions under which people would have access to it.