Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate:

(a)

Notes that:1)     the Minister for Health and Ageing told the House of Representatives on 29 October 2009, that the Government had legal advice that the Health Insurance Amendment (Revival of Table Items) Bill 2009 was unconstitutional, that it should not have been introduced in the Senate and had not been appropriately passed,2)     the Minister also told the House of Representatives that the Government was “happy to provide that legal advice” (9.59am, 29/10/2009),3)     on 17 November the Senate ordered “that there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing in the Senate, by no later than 5pm on 17 November 2009, a copy of the legal advice referred to by the Minister on 29 October 2009, indicating that the Health Insurance Amendment (Revival of Table Items) Bill 2009 was unconstitutional” under section 53 of the Constitution,4)     in response, on 18 November the Minister for Health and Ageing tabled a letter stating that the legal advice would not be provided to the Senate on the grounds that it could “prejudice the Commonwealth’s position in the event of future legal proceedings”, and5)     advice from the Clerk of the Senate makes it clear that section 53 of the Constitution is non-justiciable and “[t]herefore there cannot be any legal proceedings which might be prejudiced by disclosure of advice to the government on its interpretation of section 53”.

(b)

Considers that release of a copy of the legal advice referred to by the Minister on 29 October 2009 is in the public interest.

(c)

Orders that there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing in the Senate, by no later than 12pm on 24 November 2009, a copy of the legal advice referred to by the Minister on 29 October 2009, indicating that the Health Insurance Amendment (Revival of Table Items) Bill 2009 was unconstitutional.

Question agreed to.

Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—The government opposes this motion. On this occasion it is Senator Cormann who has the support of the Greens for his motion. Therefore he has the majority and we will not call a division.