Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Sorry, seven weeks ago. I was not on the committee, clearly. So the coalition alerted Mr Shorten to the flaw. Even if you accept the bill, the way it was presented was wrong. The coalition committee members pointed that out. Did the Labor Party or the Greens members on that committee understand or agree? No. 'Pass the bill as it is,' they said. Thankfully, the coalition put in a dissenting report and they persisted. To give credit where credit is due, Madam Acting Deputy President, I think, you were on that committee too. On our side, we have people who actually understand these things, follow them, have a bit of business experience and a very great understanding of the insurance and the superannuation industry. They were able to see through this while the Labor people all said: 'The minister said it is good. Yes, it's good. Put it in the report.' The majority report was supported by the Greens, who said that the bill should be passed as it is. Thanks to Senator Cormann, an evil bill, if I can call it that, has been made mildly okay.

We are going to move some amendments. I know that you, Madam Acting Deputy President, and Senator Cormann, amongst others, are very keen to progress those amendments. I hope you can speak quickly because at the rate we are going you are going to have about 30 seconds to move three amendments and explain them to the Senate and to people who might be listening to this as to why these are good amendments and should be adopted.

The Greens and the Labor Party have curtailed this debate. I will be voting for those amendments but, like most senators who will be voting on this, I would like to have them explained because I was not on the committee. I would like to question Senator Cormann when he moves the amendments to find out whether they are good amendments, though I am sure they are, but I would like to satisfy myself of that. I am not going to get that opportunity, am I? Of course not. Thanks to the Greens, who joined with the Labor Party, debate on this very, very important piece of legislation will be curtailed.

I am conscious time is running out. I know my colleagues are very keen to make a contribution. I have pages of material here I would like to contribute to the debate. If I do not do it during the second reading stage, I would like to do it in the committee stage of the bill. Senator Ludlam, will there be a committee stage? No. You and your party have ensured that there will no committee stage. The Greens show all their piousness—'Oh, this has to be looked through.' Not a lot of the senators today were here in the days when the Greens used to spend hours telling us how important committee stages were, how important the Senate was and how important full discussion and accountability was. Yet, when they have the ability to make a difference today, what do they do? They join with their mates in the Labor Party to curtail proper assessment of these important pieces of legislation.

I would to say a few more things, but I know my colleagues are very keen to speak, so I will leave it there and urge the Senate to support the amendments which I think are good, though I am never going to find out for sure. They will be moved by Senator Cormann to try to make this bill better.