Ben Small (Forrest, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Electoral Matters) | Hansard source

By leave—Unfortunately, I stand here today to convey to the House that the coalition's position is that one of the most serious committees in the parliament has been reduced to a one-eyed, hyperpartisan witch-hunt of a group of religious Australians. That someone would seek to deny someone, on the basis of their faith or indeed not having faith, a role in our precious democracy should be called out for what it is. This is a committee that has had standing in previous parliaments as being charged with stewarding, upholding and protecting our precious democracy.

The dissenting report the coalition has tabled in response to this details a litany of gross overreach on the part of this partisan witch-hunt because, ultimately, this is anything but a fair, balanced and impartial approach to assessing the feedback of the Australian community that we saw in the wake of the 2025 federal election. I won't go on, but I urge Australians to read the dissenting report. It's a stinging condemnation of the hyperpartisan approach that was taken through this committee, a very serious committee, an approach that ultimately leaves our parliament and our democracy cheaper.

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