Steve Fielding (Victoria, Family First Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is not my request for an amendment, by the way, but I am happy to talk to it. It is quite clearly to make sure that the revenue that has been collected by the government stays with the government. I will say that Family First will be moving a further request, beyond this one, that will allow the revenue for the last year to be kept by the government and to be collected for the next six months with a sunset clause. That allows the government another six months.

Some people have come to me saying, ‘Why would you allow the government another six months when they have already had a year to put real action in place? Why would you give them another six months?’ You sit there and you think, ‘Well, gee, you are right. Why would you give them another six months?’ In good faith, though, you want to see whether the government really does want to move on these Family First issues and so we will still be moving our request, but we do want to make sure that the money does stay with the government. The last thing we would want is to see this money go back to the industry.

I think that anyone who votes against this amendment is basically saying that they do not want the government to keep it. That is what this request does. It authorises and legitimises the revenue that has been captured to stay with the government. Others may want the money to be spent on certain areas. The main purpose of this requested amendment is to make sure that the money that has been collected does not go back to the industry and that it stays with the government. I think that I will also talk to the Family First request following the subsequent one to this. I will make it quite clear that this is about making sure that the revenue collected does not go back to the industry and I urge all senators in the chamber to support this request.

Question put:

That the requests (Senator Cormann’s) be agreed to.