Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

I'm sorry. The amendments moved by the member for Curtin are very sensible amendments. Basically, what they are asking the government to do is to go and do an independent inquiry on the bill. When this bill does not have a friend in the world and when all of the stakeholders are saying that there should, in fact, be an independent inquiry—not a parliamentary inquiry, which would no doubt be stacked with government members who would no doubt support this bill. A proper independent inquiry has been called for in relation to the concept of changing the FOI Act for many years. It beggars belief that this government would not seek to get all of the barnacles out on the table. It's this concept—this is a government that campaigned in the lead-up to the 2022 election on honesty, on transparency and on accountability and, now it's in government, it doesn't want to be held to account. This government wants to make life difficult for Australians who want answers from their government. I implore the Attorney to reconsider—just hit pause. Why won't the Attorney hit pause and commission an independent inquiry in relation to this bill?

See this speech in context