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

The point I am making is that Senate reports are well received. They have a certain standing. But when the sort of action that has occurred in relation to this other matter happens yet again— following along the line of the Senate abuse committee set up by the Palmer United Party into the investigation of a political matter in Queensland, with one government member—Senate committees start to lose respect. A report as good as this will shortly be seen to be just another Senate report.

My concern is that all Senate committees are being thrown into disrepute by the actions of the Greens and the Labor Party in ramming through political inquiries without any reference to the normal courtesies and in fact the democracy of the chamber. The matter I talk about was referred to the references committee just today. They held an urgent meeting this afternoon and they have proposed that the committee sit this Friday, with one day's notice. The two government members on that committee, Senator Reynolds and I, both have longstanding commitments on that day. Everyone would know of my passion for northern Australia. The newspapers are reporting that the government's northern Australian white paper is to be released in Cairns this Friday. Clearly there is no place in the world I am going to be apart from Cairns this Friday, and that is fairly well known. Senator Reynolds, a very hardworking member of many Senate and joint committees, is precommitted to Amberley for a hearing of the Senate defence committee. So the two government members on the committee clearly have longstanding commitments on Friday. Did that worry the majority of the committee, chaired by Senator Wright? Of course not. Labor and the Greens just slam through this inquiry for Friday, knowing that the government, which has the most senators, simply will be unable to be represented—no consultation, none of the usual courtesies of 'Bring your diary. Will you be available this day? Or perhaps there is some other day we could do this?'