Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

Labor will be opposing the amendments moved by Senator Patrick. These amendments would see the proposed divestment laws expanded to all sectors of the economy. To be honest, as somebody who sat through the Senate inquiries for both pieces of legislation—the forerunner in the last parliament and then this legislation—it was hard to find a supporter for these powers being applied within the energy sector, let alone across the entire economy. Labor is not convinced that the approach recommended by Senator Patrick would actually work or that it would benefit consumers. Certainly no analysis or modelling on that proposal has been undertaken, nor was the case made in the Senate inquiry process, nor has the case been made by any review undertaken by any of the economic institutions, nor has it been made by any of the relevant agencies. On that basis, we will not be supporting the amendments.