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

Labor will be supporting the Greens amendment despite the very ungenerous speech by Senator Whish-Wilson. Coming from a party that just reversed its position on the amendment that Senator Xenophon moved around access to justice compared to their position last week, it was very ungenerous to then stand up and start attacking Labor when we are prepared to support your amendment, Senator Whish-Wilson—despite our overall concerns about the bill as a whole, and which we remain opposed to.

To just pick up on your argument, I would pose this question. If the amendment that you are moving is accommodated in the bill that the government has introduced, and extrapolating your argument that by supporting your amendment we obviously support the effects test, then my question would be: why are you moving this amendment? If this is dealt with under the government's bill, then why the need for the specific amendment that you are moving, Senator Whish-Wilson? It is entirely reasonable for Labor to support this amendment, as you yourself have recognised. You drafted this amendment and you have done a deal with the government, which forced you to oppose the access to justice provisions that you supported last week. Be up-front about it; don't then come swinging at us when we have legitimate reasons to be supporting this amendment as it deals with safeguards in the telecommunications sector, a very specific issue, rather than the much broader application of the section 46 amendment. We are happy to support it. Our position is consistent. By doing so, by supporting it, it does not mean that we will be supporting the broader application of section 46, which we remain opposed to.