John Williams (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would just like to add some comments following Senator Xenophon. For some 46 years, I think, mortgage insurance companies have had access to individual credit history and I believe that it is very important that the status quo remains. Those mortgage insurance companies have got to provide the insurance and they need to know who they are insuring.

I do not know whether this was an oversight by the government or by the Attorney-General when this legislation was brought in to the other place. I hope it was just an oversight not with some other meaning as far as the mortgage insurance companies go. I do welcome the government's amendment, which is basically the amendment put forward by Senators Brandis, Xenophon, Wright and myself. It was a serious problem and I am glad that that problem has been solved.

I thank Senator Brandis for his input to this very important issue, and his staff. I thank Senator Xenophon and I acknowledge Senator Wright as well. Through the weight of numbers, as Senator Xenophon said, I am glad the government has listened to this very important issue. No doubt they have had plenty of meetings and plenty of people knocking on their door, saying, 'You have got this wrong.' The Senate inquiry has obviously had the problem highlighted by coalition senators, and it is a pleasing result. Mortgage insurance companies will have that problem fixed so that they can access credit history, knowing what sorts of individuals they are dealing with when they put their money at risk. That is only fair and, as I often say, life is about fairness.