Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, I present the report of the committee on the provisions of the Australian Citizenship and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2014, together with the Hansard record of proceedings and documents presented to the committee.

Ordered that the report be printed.

I seek leave to make a couple of comments about the report I have just presented.

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand this is not the normal practice. I sought leave because I am not quite sure when else we can talk about these things. Of course, having being restricted to one minute, I am not going to be able to help the Senate much. Suffice it to say that the committee did take evidence on this legislation. There was some quite interesting evidence given. Regrettably, the report is not a unanimous report—there are dissenting reports from both the Labor Party and the Greens.

However, I simply point out that this is about a strengthening of the program of integrity for those wishing to become Australian citizens. It is a bill that does give the minister additional powers, but why else would he want the powers but to ensure that citizenship of our country is a very, very important grant and something that should be cherished and very carefully administered. This bill actually does that.