Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens will be opposing the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Amendment Bill 2017. We're disappointed to see that Labor is jumping over the divide here to support the government in this. We're not going to be supporting it, because we have serious questions in relation to why this is needed. We have questions that have yet to be answered by the government or, indeed, anyone within the bureaucracy who has been pushing for this much needed—so they say—legislation.

This bill will extend the functions of ANSTO to cover purposes relating to the security and defence of Australia. There is no explanation from the government about the intent or the need of this expansion of responsibility. I'd invite the minister, in his closing remarks, to perhaps give us a sense of why he thinks that this is actually needed because, to date, there has been no forthcoming explanation that is, in any way, plausible. It shouldn't be left to the opposition to do the government's work.