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

I participated, with colleagues, in the review of this bill by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. In that respect I pay my compliments to the chair of that committee—Senator Nita Green, from my home state of Queensland—and all the other senators on that committee, who work diligently together to scrutinise legislation coming before this place, to try to improve it for the benefit of all Australians and the common good. But this issue of the impact of the existing section 25 upon Services Australia in relation to sensitive child support cases, and the risk—and the work they have to go through to mitigate the risk—of family and domestic violence arising from inappropriate disclosure of documents under the existing section 25, was never raised. It was never countenanced, and the reason for the amendment, being partly founded upon that risk, was never presented by the department. Why wasn't that issue ventilated before the committee through the submission of the Attorney-General's Department or otherwise?