George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Although I do not think it is really for shadow ministers to be responding to questions from crossbench senators, given the way this debate has developed, I will respond to Senator Brown’s question to me. As I indicated earlier, the opposition does accept the assurance through the officers of the Attorney-General that the Access to Justice (Civil Litigation Reforms) Amendment Bill, which is the appropriate vehicle for this amendment, will be dealt with by the Senate before the end of the year. It does, as I explained before, have to come off the non-controversial list for tomorrow, but I do accept the assurance that it will be relisted with priority, and I imagine that that would mean not tomorrow but in the next sitting week.

As to the subsequent fate of the bill in the other place, that of course is a matter for the government, and only the government can control that, just as only the government can control the fate of this bill in the other place, Senator Brown. But, notwithstanding that you are a rather hostile ally on this, I do welcome you to the banner of Senator Eric Abetz in your campaign to save the position of the registrar of the Federal Court in Hobart. It is with that end in view that the opposition has accepted the assurance given to us through the Attorney-General’s staff.