Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

We have heard them and we have seen them, Senator Nettle. When you have two-year-old kids suffering from sexually transmitted diseases, you do not have to talk to them to know that something needs to be done. When you see women with multiple fractures time and time again, you do not say to them, ‘Let’s consult about these issues.’ The time for action has come, and we as a government are willing to take that action for and on behalf of the disempowered people that you will not see on the TV saying, ‘We haven’t been consulted.’ Unfortunately, that has been part of the problem. We are seeking to assist those disempowered people and the victims, and the Howard government makes no apology for trying to rush this legislation through. If we have a choice to consult further with some of the leadership groups that say they have not been consulted or to assist the victims, we will always fall on the side of the victims. That is what we are doing with this legislation, and I would urge all honourable senators to allow this debate to proceed as quickly as possible.

Question put:

That the motion (Senator Abetz’s) be agreed to.