Senate debates
Thursday, 16 August 2007
Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Payment Reform) Bill 2007; Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007; Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Northern Territory National Emergency Response and Other Measures) Bill 2007; Appropriation (Northern Territory National Emergency Response) Bill (No. 1) 2007-2008; Appropriation (Northern Territory National Emergency Response) Bill (No. 2) 2007-2008
In Committee
5:51 pm
Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source
The Australian Democrats oppose clause 4 in the following terms:
(1) Clause 4, page 3 (lines 10 to 26), TO BE OPPOSED.
This is basically a repeat of what we have just been through and opposes the exclusion of the Racial Discrimination Act provision in this bill, for the same reasons I have just outlined. I will not repeat all the arguments because people can look back at the Hansard from about 30 minutes ago. The same arguments apply with regard to this. I would just reinforce that in only speaking briefly to this, because we have just dealt with it, I do not want to in any way imply that it is not a serious matter. This is a very fundamental matter. To exclude the Racial Discrimination Act from legislation and just insert an assertion that something is a special measure just because you say so is just not good enough. It is nowhere near good enough and nowhere near enough effort has been made to find a better way of doing this.
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