Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

The opposition will be supporting these amendments, which address issues raised by stakeholders in relation to the bill's treatment of securitisation. This matter was raised during the committee hearing. At that time the Treasury indicated it was aware of the issue and considering the amendments. In considering amendments, this is yet another example of bills progressing into the Senate and being amended to fix issues that were in the drafting. While this certainly validates the critical work of Senate committees, it yet again calls into question the ability of this government to prepare and deliver legislation in the Treasury portfolio.

Stakeholders continually raise the short or non-existent consultation periods for Treasury legislation, the failure to take on board feedback and an indifference to the realities of commercial arrangements impacted by legislation. I take this opportunity to once again encourage the Treasurer and his junior ministerial colleagues to take their jobs seriously and realise that new laws do not exist in a vacuum. However meritorious, these changes add an additional burden to businesses and we must respect business enough to at least listen to it as we prepare the legislation before it is introduced into parliament.