Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

For those watching, if you ever wanted to know what it looks like when a government can't manage its affairs, can't control the Senate, can't do what the people elected it to do, this is it in all its glory. We have the second of the Labor backbenchers coming in today to tell us how important this legislation is. Again, this second senator, senator Marielle Smith, a very learned colleague, comes in here, but seems not to have been given the same memo that others have been given, just like Senator Sterle in his earlier contributions seemed to have missed the memo, which is that the ball is in the government's court. This bill could pass unamended today if the government did what we have been asking them to do. If they were seeking to cooperate with the opposition, perhaps Senator McAllister in her next contribution might like to put on record how intransigent this government is being on the requests to the government that have been made by the opposition. That is entirely up to her. They know what we have been asking so that we can progress what is an important piece of legislation.

I want to put a couple of other things on record. Before I do, I'd like to speak about the tone of debate that comes about when we have senators in here that denigrate colleagues and how they conduct themselves in a debate. Senator Rice is entitled to quote from scientists, whether we agree with them or not. I don't think it is a bad move to quote someone that they believe is correct. I don't know who this climate scientist is, but it is a true tactic of the Labor Party in this country to besmirch, belittle and shame colleagues in this place, whatever their views are, if they happen to disagree with them. Rather than take them on at face value or challenge the facts and perhaps debate the point, we have a senator come in here and criticise another senator for having read into Hansard things that Senator Rice thought were important. It is also shows a disregard for a fundamental element of this place, and that is the need for us to be able to debate things.

It is frustrating for the government that they can't do their jobs properly—indeed, it is frustrating for all of us. But there is one small thing they need to do and we would be on our way, these bills would be passed, those jobs would be secure and we would be able move on to these other important pieces of legislation. As Senator Marielle Smith said, those bills have been sitting on the Notice Paper. Just on the issue of sitting on the Notice Paper and this high degree of urgency now attached to this legislation, as I understand this bill was introduced in the other place on 22 June, nearly half year ago now. It was debated there and was passed on 3 August, and we haven't seen it until this week. Three months have passed since it reached the Senate—three months—and here we are today: 'We've got to get it done. We've got to pass this, and we've got to do it our way, no ifs, no buts. We will sit here until we get our way.' Three months, four sitting weeks, and nothing was done by the government, but now they are all frustrated that the Australian Greens, Senator Pocock and others have questions about the bill, questions we are happy for them to ask. Indeed, we would be equally happy for the government to work with us on facilitating passage of this bill, but to date they have refused. The ball is in their court. Everything is on hold until the government decides to do something practical to facilitate passage of this bill.

I might remind those listening that we wouldn't be here dealing with this legislation if it weren't for that disastrous piece of legislation, the safeguard mechanism, the bill that makes it impossible for business to occur here. And now we are trying to find ways to offset the punitive effect of that legislation, the way in which we are offshoring emissions, offshoring jobs, sending economic benefits from our country and to other jurisdictions where they don't care about the environment, they don't care about emissions, they don't care at all. That was the net effect of the safeguards mechanism legislation, and that is proven by the fact that the government now sees merit in supporting this legislation. Anyway, just to clarify for those listening in the wake of Senator Marielle Smith's contribution, which she was clearly asked by others to make, we are willing to move this bill on—be a bit more cooperative, and we might be dealing with counterterror laws.