Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I am quite keen to hear Senator Johnston's take on these amendments. I am still not convinced as to why these amendments snuck in, to be honest—why the government drafted this initial bill, sat it on the table and consulted the hell out of it for 12 months without such an offence for publication. You would understand why, when attracting a penalty of imprisonment for 10 years or 2,500 penalty units—and it is my understanding the government is also proposing to hike the amount of money that a penalty unit will cost you—was not seen fit to include in the original iteration of the bill, I am strongly inclined to strike this amendment out. I am very keen to hear Senator Johnston's views on why that should not be the case.