Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Scarr, I'll go to your first points, which were basically political points. It's hard to keep up with Senator Scarr when it comes to consistency. On one hand he's saying that there hasn't been a proper process regarding this bill and that he want it slowed down, and, on the other hand, now he's saying we haven't done it quick enough. I can't work out the point he's making. I'd also point out that in your record in government, Senator Scarr, there was robodebt. The way you treated the public servants when it came to robodebt was exposed during the royal commission, and that is actually the next bill that, hopefully, we'll be dealing with today. That is your record in terms of how you actually responded to, and treated, public servants when you were in government.

In regard to a registrar in each state and territory, the ART Act allows the CEO and principal registrar to appoint registrars depending on the needs of the tribunal. The ART already has one or more registrars in each jurisdiction. It is also focused on delivering a broader range of services and information in each jurisdiction to provide to people who do not live within reasonable travelling distance of a registry. Including more detailed requirements in the legislation may unnecessarily limit the principal registrar's ability to manage the administrative affairs of the tribunal and restrict their capacity to fulfil these responsibilities under the legislation, including by limiting how the tribunal flexibly responds to surges in case loads through registry services.