Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Hughes. That was, I think, a very well-weighted contribution that goes to the essence of the issues that the parliament must consider in terms of the scheme. It was very good to see you receiving the support of your colleagues while you gave that contribution. That is what this place should do.

The passage of the legislation through the parliament is a very important step, and the minister recognises and the government recognises that there is much more important work to be done. That goes to making sure that this legislation is right, which is the work that we have tried to do here and that the minister, the department and the agency have done, but it also goes to implementing the legislation, it goes to future reform and it goes to the micro detail of every interaction that the staff of the agency have with participants and their families and that providers have with the participants and their families. This is work that, in my view, will never be done, properly, effectively; it is an endless reform process. The words 'continuous improvement' are often used in a pretty banal way around the place, but this is going to be an ever-evolving set of issues.

I'm grateful for that contribution. I don't want to belabour any of the points, because I know that Senator Steele-John will have questions and contributions too. In relation to that specific instance that you raised at the outset, Senator Hughes, I'm very happy to undertake to receive that confidentially or for the minister's office to receive that confidentially, to make sure that it is conveyed to the satisfaction of the participant or their family who have raised it but also that the proper lessons are learnt from that.