Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

For a start, if you'd paid attention you'd know it's not a rectification; it's in response to a scrutiny report. This power has existed as is since 2009 and has never been used, so if it's an issue for us it was an issue for you, for 10 years, that you didn't rectify. I think you should do your homework before you come in here and start raising a whole range of rubbish that is, frankly, just wrong.

This is in response to the scrutiny report, which recommended some additional protections which have not existed with this power since 2009—a power that's never been used. It's not an error. It's actually responding, as government should, to a scrutiny report. It's not rectification—that's the beginning. I would say: the lecture about failure to consult is a bit rich coming from a member of the former government, which announced some of these changes two years ago but—surprise, surprise—didn't see them through, negotiated behind closed doors without consultation and signed an MOU with the industry without consulting anybody else. Coming here and lecturing us about actually going through a proper process, proper consultation, is not right either.

Maybe it's the end of a long day, but, Senator Ruston, I think you know the record on this, which was a secret agreement between you and the industry. You signed an MOU, didn't consult with anyone, went out two years ago and didn't implement it. Now we're finishing the work and we're putting in place appropriate consultation mechanisms through this bill.