Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I want to make a similar contribution. The issue of the timing is critical because 4 February, as per the inquiry that's under way by the joint standing committee, does not give the time for people to be able to contribute. It means that all of the activity is happening during the summer period when people are on holidays—and they deserve to be on holidays after the year that we've just had.

An honourable senator: Including the secretariat.

Including the secretariat, absolutely. Given Senator Gallagher's suggestion that we defer this, I would be happy to support deferring it to seek further advice. The problem of 4 February stands as it stood last week. The reporting date of mid-February is the absolute minimum that is needed for a bill of this import, and that's where I suspect we will end up.