Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Brandis. I refer to the leaked letter by Mr Hunt last week regarding crossbench negotiations to establish a wind farm commissioner, which came as a complete surprise to the minister in question time. I ask the minister again: will the Abbott government be establishing a wind farm commissioner?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Singh, with great respect, you have misled the Senate. There was no letter. A draft document, unsigned and provided in draft form, is not a letter. No decision has been made in relation to that matter at all. As you know, Senator Singh, the government has discussions with the crossbench all the time, as does the opposition. It should come as no surprise to you that there were discussions between the government and the crossbench in relation to this matter. But please do not—because you know better than this, Senator Singh—represent a draft document, which forms part of a discussion, as a policy decision of the government, because it is not.

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer to Mr Graeme Innes, the former Disability Discrimination Commissioner, whose position was axed by the government last year. Given the Abbott government's recent decision to appoint a wind farm commissioner, does the minister agree with Mr Innes's assessment that this sends 'a very clear message about where people with disabilities fall in the pecking order'?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First of all, Senator Singh, please, I must correct you: the government has made no such decision. In relation to Mr Graeme Innes, it is not right either to say that the position of Disability Discrimination Commissioner has been axed—in fact, we have a very, very good disability discrimination commissioner at the moment; namely, a former Labor cabinet minister, former Senator Susan Ryan, and she is doing an outstanding job—

Senator Cormann interjecting—

Mathias, don't go there please! I recently tasked Senator Ryan to lead a community consultation and report into discrimination against older Australians and Australians with a disability. It is a job which she undertook with alacrity, and she is doing a fine job as Disability Discrimination Commissioner.

Lisa Singh (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Attorney General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister explain why wind farms are more important than people with disability?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

(—) (): If I may say so, Senator Singh, what an insulting thing to say to Australians with a disability. What an appalling thing to say to Australians with a disability—because we have a disability discrimination commissioner at the moment. We have the Disability Discrimination Commissioner at the moment who is actually working very effectively to address issues facing people with a disability. That is why former Senator Susan Ryan is leading an inquiry into discrimination against people with a disability and against older Australians—a perfect complementarity of her two roles. Senator Singh, for you to suggest, as you do by implication in your question, that people with a disability are not of the utmost concern to any Australian government is preposterous. (Time expired)

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on both sides, particularly on my left!