Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, I'll be more specific—and I realise you weren't here when Minister Watt provided his answer to my previous question. Senator Watt said the Australian Human Rights Commission had proposed a cost model on the basis of section 570 of the Fair Work Act. But isn't it the case the Australian Human Rights Commission actually proposed a cost model which was different from section 570 of the Fair Work Act? And let's bear in mind this is the Australian Human Rights Commission, who deals with these matters on a day-to-day basis. The Australian Human Rights Commission, in its submission to the commission inquiry, actually proposed a cost model different to that proposed in this act—namely, that courts should take into account a range of specified and numerated matters and the interests of justice and any other matters which the court considers relevant. Isn't it the case that this act is a departure from the cost model proposed by the Australian Human Rights Commission, who is at the coalface of dealing with discrimination matters and sexual harassment matters in this country?