Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

In terms of the minister's comments—with all due respect, Minister, I know you're enjoying this. I know you're smiling. That's fine, I accept that, but for the fact that you are now a minister of the Crown representing a government.

I remember when I was on the other side, and you used to ask questions and you demanded and expected an answer. We would do our very, very best to provide you with those answers. It is a great shame that you now treat the opposition—and the people of Australia, quite frankly—with contempt. You do not even make an effort to try and answer any questions, whether it's in question time or whether it is now in the committee stage, where we're subject to a guillotine in two and a half hours—two hours and 40 minutes—to try and understand better the way this bill will work.

Based on the answers you have given to me: there is no process, basically, stated for which these appointees will be selected from, other than there's a skills matrix; the government will make recommendations to the minister; and the minister doesn't have to regard any of those recommendations. You've admitted that, with experience in industrial relations, that goes straight to unions. Any other experience—well, the good news is that the minister is the right person for the job and we should just trust them! So, basically, in relation to this line of questioning, this leaves board positions open to anyone the minister may choose. Is that correct?