Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Well, there you are. You associate with my remarks, that a bright light has been shone on an extremely important issue in our parliamentary democracy, this issue of whether or not the laws that are made that impact all Australians go through this place and all of us sitting here in this chamber have an opportunity—a responsibility—to consider them and either vote for them or vote against them. It is an extraordinarily important principle.

I want to add one final comment in relation to these ASIC notices of exemption from the Corporations Act 2001. I say to whoever is in the department who may be listening to this: surely, it cannot be good practice, and you cannot think it is good practice, to pass instruments which exempt or provide modifications to primary legislation that has gone through this place and for those exemptions or modifications to be in place from five to 10 years. For the life of me, I cannot see why that is necessary. I think it is entirely reasonable and, in fact, consistent and, as Senator Fierravanti-Wells has said, a responsibility of the Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation to make the recommendation it has made to this place with respect to those instruments. It is simply not good practice, and this matter needs to be addressed. So I, once again, commend Senator Fierravanti-Wells on her contribution.

Question agreed to.