Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) | Hansard source

on indulgenceI just want to acknowledge the Leader of the House and thank you for considering this in the way of a conversation with us. I think the crossbench has become a large crossbench because of the way that we engage with legislation in a very detailed way and seek to collaborate and seek to improve legislation. We do that in good faith. I acknowledge that the workings of the House have to continue in a way that makes sense and progresses things through the parliament without losing the parliamentary tools that we all have at our disposal. The crossbench uses those parliamentary tools, I think, in good faith, and I welcome the opportunity for us to discuss with you how we do that in a way that doesn't diminish that but enables the House to get on with its work.

I just want to point out to the opposition that grouping the crossbench into nomenclature which makes no sense, frankly, doesn't assist in having a really good parliamentary process, which is something we're all very, very committed to.

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