David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I'll speak to that bevy of amendments. To be clear, the Greens are grateful for the minister's consultation in terms of the review. We think that it's important that the review be undertaken almost in real time as these amendments are being rolled out. The original proposition was to have a review which would happen significantly after the commencement of the act. The amendments on sheet ZA257, moved by the government, will see the review begin as soon as practicable and within a period of no more than 12 months after the act commences.

It is almost certain, with legislation this complex, that there will be unintended consequences. We think picking them up as early as possible is critically important. We note the breadth of the review proposed to be run by one of the Senate standing committees on foreign affairs, defence and trade, and, again, we're grateful for the government engaging with us and with veterans and listening. We think this review will be both timely and essential.

When it comes to the opposition's amendments—we will end up supporting them, on balance—part of the difficulty we've confronted is that there will then be multiple reviews running, potentially, in parallel. Remember that separate to this we also have the process being undertaken by Mr Manthorpe, who's been engaged by the government to consider what the commission should look like, in implementing recommendation 122 of the royal commission. Since the engagement of Mr Manthorpe, we've now had the government's amendments to form schedule 9, which will institute the commission. So we have these amendments, which we will end up supporting, to institute a commission for oversight, in accordance with recommendation 122; we'll have Mr Manthorpe engaging in a process of determining what that commission should look like; and we'll have the review, by one of the Senate committees for foreign affairs, defence and trade, into what the commission should look like and how recommendation 122 should be implemented. Then we'll also have that Senate standing committee do the broader review some 12 months after the commencement of the act.

I think cooperation between the different parties and the government will be desperately needed in the new parliament to ensure these processes aren't tripping over each other and to ensure we're not putting veterans through multiple different parallel processes. The committee's review of the commission, I think, is essential. How that works with Mr Manthorpe's review, I think, is going to have to be a work in progress. We'll have to make that happen. The broader review of the amending bill itself is also essential.

I want to say clearly to those veterans who are somewhat confused about the multiple hounds running off at the same time as a result of these different reviews that I accept your confusion and I understand why you're confused. I think we all have an obligation to make sure these processes are not tripping over each other and to ensure, as best as possible, that common submissions can be considered and, if possible, that the two reviews run by the standing committee don't replicate the work but are focused and don't put veterans through unnecessary process.