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

I indicate on behalf of the opposition that our conclusion is similar to the government's conclusion. We of course accept entirely Senator Xenophon's concern, bona fides and deep study of this field. But in the time that has been made available to us—and, as the minister said, this reflects no criticism of Senator Xenophon, who has been operating under a lot of pressure lately and I am well aware of that—we just have not had time to properly assess what would be the consequences for clubs in particular and other venues also, of lowering the threshold of the reporting requirement, in effect, to $1,000. I am instructed that at the moment the threshold is $10,000, and for there to be a tenfold reduction of the threshold would, it seems to me without professing any specialist knowledge of the area, be potentially a highly consequential restraint upon the operation of those businesses. No clear evidence, I am bound to say, has been demonstrated to us that the correct balance between the efficacy of what you are seeking to do and the cost of compliance will be struck by lowering the threshold from $10,000 to $1,000. So the opposition concurs with the government's reluctance to adopt this amendment at this late stage of the debate.

The other point I would make, Senator Xenophon, is that the opposition's amendments mandating a review of the legislation after two years have now been accepted, and that review, although it specifies certain matters which must be undertaken as part of the review, can address other matters as well. If at the time of that review two years hence there is a body of evidence assembled to show that the threshold for the reporting requirements should be lowered to the level you say or to some other lower level than exists currently, then that is a matter that could perhaps be considered by the review. We have had not had time to consider this in detail. I think it is bad legislative practice to adopt an amendment at a late stage simply because it sounds like it might be a good idea and without considering the impact it will have upon those affected by it. For those reasons, and with no disrespect to you, Senator Xenophon, the opposition feels unable to accept this amendment.