Brett Mason (Queensland, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I now understand your point more fully, Senator Siewert, but the government believes the process outlined in the bill for an emergency dealing determination is very prescriptive. And, as I mentioned before in relation to the other amendment, not only is it very prescriptive but I do not think that anyone could argue that the minister could exercise any unilateral discretion. It is highly circumscribed and prescribed, and the government does not believe that any further consultative pro-cess per se needs to be put into legislation. I think it is fair enough to raise the argu-ment—and you have, Senator—that it is good to have the guidelines there, and I think you are right. But I do not think they need to be fleshed out, teased out or, in any case, reformed for a legislative purpose. I think they better serve their purpose as an aide-memoire.