Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bernardi for his contribution. As I was indicating, I did note in the concluding speeches at the second reading stage that Senator Roberts made a contribution that particularly highlighted the types of matters that are sought to be regulated under the Production Emissions Standards Bill. This related to particulates that can clearly be harmful to human health under certain circumstances. They are particulates that we do seek to regulate in other ways. The overwhelming priority and objective of this bill is absolutely to ensure that those particulates, carbon monoxide and others, are controlled in a safe and appropriate way to create a circumstance in which we can have confidence that, whether it be motor vehicles or small petrol engines, which were the subject of some of the discussion, we have standards to ensure their quality and the safety of Australians.

Of course, like all legislation passed through this place, it is important that there also be clear constitutional underpinning for such legislation. In this case, one of the powers upon which the legislation stands is the external affairs power as a constitutional basis for the bill. As a result of that, the government has cited in clause 7, lines 10 to 22 of page 4, definitions of some of the conventions through which that external affairs power is sourced, whilst, of course, also then identifying, within the objects of the bill, the reference to some of those conventions. The circumstances that we have here are such that the government believes the bill needs to stand as printed. (Quorum formed)