David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens oppose what is effectively an urgency motion to bring on this legislation contrary to the standing orders, which would otherwise require proper consideration of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Bill 2023. We ask this: why is it the only occasion on which this parliament is willing to consider something is urgent is when it comes from either Defence or the security industry, when it comes from either somebody with golden braid on their shoulders or it comes from ASIO? Those are the only things that this chamber seems persuaded are urgent. When have we ever seen urgent legislation or urgent policy change dealing with the climate crisis treated like this? Never, never. When have we ever seen urgent legislation dealing with the housing crisis and the rental crisis and this agreement between the so-called parties of government that needs to be brought on and dealt with now because we have a crisis, an urgency? Never. When have we ever seen the crisis in public education and our universities and funding for young people to get that essential start in life dealt with as an urgent motion? When have we seen those issues brought on with urgency? Never. The only occasion we see the club come together and say: 'This is urgent. It needs to be dealt with now. It is super important to the nation,' is when it's Defence or it's spooks. And, again, this is what is happening here.

This is no more urgent than the climate crisis. This is no more urgent than the housing crisis. Those are the things that this parliament should be focusing on, but we can't get the club to listen. Millions and millions of Australians want those issues to be the feature of today. So, yes, we think this is an important bill, and let's deal with it appropriately. But it's an insult to say this is more important than the climate crisis or more important than the housing crisis, and that insult is being felt in millions of houses across this country and billions of households across the planet. We oppose this motion.