Sam Dastyari (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Canavan, with great power comes great responsibility!

Senator Lambie has been a proud and consistent supporter of the Australian Defence Force since long before she entered this place. I respect her service and I respect her commitment to her former colleagues. In March this year, the Senate passed Senator Lambie's Defence Amendment (Fair Pay for Members of the ADF) Bill 2014 and it proposed a measure that would ensure that, if inflation increases, ADF personnel will not be worse off. The bill links ADF pay rises, at a minimum, to either an increase in the Consumer Price Index or increases in parliamentary allowances, whichever is the higher. Since then, however, this government has refused to allow this bill to be debated in the other place. I think that is what is so appalling about this. What is being asked for here is not necessarily that everyone agree or even that the bill be agreed to by the House. People are entitled to debate it. But you have to be prepared, you should be prepared and you should be willing to be prepared—