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

I move the following amendment:

At the end of the motion, add "and, in respect of the Administrative Review Tribunal Bill 2023, the Administrative Review Tribunal (Consequential and Transitional Provisions No. 1) Bill 2023 and the Administrative Review Tribunal (Consequential and Transitional Provisions No. 2) Bill 2024, the provisions of the bills be referred immediately to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 13 March 2024".

The government supports the referral of these bills to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee with a reporting date of 13 March. These bills will abolish the AAT and replace it with a new administrative review body that is user focused, efficient, accessible, independent and fair. Over nine years, the Liberals stacked the AAT with as many as 85 former Liberal MPs, failed Liberal candidates, former Liberal staffers and other close Liberal associates without any merit based selection process, including some individuals with no relevant experience or expertise. The AAT's public standing was irreversibly damaged as a result of the actions of the previous government.

The bills have been informed by significant consultation over a year, including guidance from an expert advisory group led by the former High Court justice the Hon. Patrick Keane AC KC and engagement over many months with AAT staff and members, AAT users, peak bodies, legal assistance providers, advocates and other experts. These bills are also currently the subject of an inquiry by the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, and there is no reason why the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee cannot complete its inquiry by 13 March.

Despite this, the Liberal Party want the Senate committee to take until July to consider these bills. We all know why the Liberal Party is voting to delay these bills for as long as possible by delaying the committee process—because they are protecting their stack. But what is particularly shocking today is the fact that the Greens are joining them. Our understanding is the Australian Greens will join with the Liberal Party to disrupt and delay these generational reforms that implement key recommendations of the robodebt royal commission and which are directed at ensuring that nothing like robodebt ever happens again. This is a terrible betrayal of the tens of thousands of people who need to seek independent reviews of government decisions that have major and sometimes life-altering impacts on their lives—decisions such as whether an older Australian receives an age pension, whether a veteran is compensated for a service injury or whether a NDIS participant receives funding for essential support.

We are committed to restoring trust and confidence in Australia's system of administrative review, bringing with it the establishment of a new administrative review body that is user focused, efficient, accessible, independent and fair. We are committed to this reform. I'm hopeful that senators in this place will come to their senses and change their minds about the amendment they are about to put, and that we can get the support of the majority of this chamber for a referral for a report by 13 March 2024.