Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

One Nation agrees with the sentiment in many of the amendments, yet now is not the time for discussing these. I will explain and then check with the minister. Minister, I will have two questions after first confirming my understanding.

First, as I said in my reply to the minister's statement earlier today, we have been concerned about the complexity of the legislation already in place, and now there is the added complexity of this legislation and the speed with which these changes are being made, yet the legislation allows ministers to make changes as regulations. Like the opposition, we understand the short-term need, in the circumstances, to give this government this power, and we'll be holding them accountable throughout the period of managing the virus and after the virus passes. We will continue to listen our constituents and we'll continue to advocate for them to put ideas to the government to protect workers and any groups that fall through the cracks.

Our understanding is that unions have publicly acknowledged that the government has worked well with them on making changes to the legislation. The opposition has acknowledged publicly and in this Senate that the government has worked well with it. Our party has passed constituent concerns and ideas to the government, and the government has implemented these ideas.

Second, the government and opposition have stated that they will oppose all other amendments. Any amendments to this legislation, regardless, would need to go back to the House of Representatives and would delay this package getting out to the people who need it.

Third, given the complexity of the amendments and the lack of costings of some of these amendments, there has been no time for us to check the legislation. We would be neglectful to support these amendments with such little notice. All parties, as I understand it, have had ample opportunity to suggest changes to the government.

Minister, can you confirm the minister's ability to make regulations to close the cracks in legislation to ensure fairness for any people in need who have been missed in this legislation and to make regulations to protect taxpayers from abuse of the new provisions?