David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Less than a year ago, this Senate voted, just based on the voices—it didn't even go to a vote—to repeal the Andrews bill. After a 25-year campaign from the territories to restore our territory rights, the Senate voted unanimously to restore those. Less than a year later, we're seeing Senator Cash trying to renege on that and introduce her own Andrews bill to override the rights of territorians to have their elected legislative assembly make laws for them.

I find this bill also quite disrespectful to the Canberra Liberals. I would love to know if Senator Cash consulted with the ACT Leader of the Opposition, Elizabeth Lee, on this bill before introducing it. Has Senator Cash seen the letter from Ms Lee sent to the President and the opposition asking this chamber to respect territory rights? What's going on here when we have the Canberra Liberals urging their federal colleagues to stay out of the ACT's business and allow Ms Lee to be the Leader of the Opposition in the ACT? We see this federal overreach disregarding what the Canberra Liberals would like and saying: 'We know best. We know better than the people of the ACT.' Even the Australian Federal Police Association have told me that they believe it is an issue for the ACT Legislative Assembly. If Senator Cash has any respect for our democratic system, for Canberrans and for people in the ACT, she will withdraw this motion and withdraw this bill. Senator Cash may say that she just wants a review. Then why has she introduced a bill to invalidate the laws?