Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

It is interesting that this widely-consulting government takes a step to remove from the legislation a provision about consultation with the Grains Council—which is the peak body for the wheat industry, as I understand it—and specifically does not tell the Grains Council, or give them any chance to consult about that particular provision. Quite remarkable! In the provisions in schedule 1, the minister is to be given a new power to order the regulator to conduct an investigation if the minister determines it is in the public interest to do so. Why does the bill not require the minister to report to parliament in the event he does that? An extension of that is: why doesn’t the minister have to report to parliament in the event that he uses his veto power?