Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I too would like to take note of the answers to questions on notice. I would particularly like to take up the points that Senator Brandis was raising about the issues of the Anti-Discrimination Act and the response from Senator Moore. To me, it was a pretty disingenuous attempt by Senator Brandis on this issue because, as we all know, that draft consultation bill that was released last December was a very important piece of work that attempted to consolidate five anti-discrimination bills. It has undergone a very deep and meaningful process of scrutiny through the Senate committee process and, as the Senate committee reported last month, there were more than 100 recommendations in that report from the committee.

To me, it seems that when we are trying to use the committee process to improve and to amend legislation for the greater good—to bring those five pieces of legislation together, to make sure the language is consistent, that changes to a consolidated act do not accidentally disenfranchise or disadvantage anyone—there is this notion, when we are all here trying to do some very important work, that this should be seen as a capitulation in some respects. We are damned if we do and we are damned if we don't in this place so often if we decide not to proceed helter-skelter down a road of reform.

What I was pleased to hear Minister Dreyfus say this morning was the acknowledgement that major changes were going to be required to that draft legislation to ensure that it did reflect the many, many concerns raised about the issues brought forward. So let us just be a little bit more genuine about the purpose of the redrafting work that will be done; doing what we should do wisely and sensibly—sending it back to the drafters for major improvements. I look forward to seeing that bill when it comes forward again.

The alternative is what Senator Brandis, as the shadow spokesperson and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, has in mind in terms of anti-discrimination. His suggestion is a promise to repeal the Racial Vilification Act. In my mind, that is something that will go about stripping people's protections from hate speech. We have seen plenty of examples in the media about that, and I really hope that we would not be going down that path as an alternative to anti-discrimination legislation.

However, I actually asked a very important question today in question time, which went to Senator Kim Carr. It was in relation to the fact that it is Seniors Week this week and the important contribution that the government is making and the important support that the government is giving to senior Australians. I want to acknowledge the fact that single pensioners will, from today, start receiving that extra $35.80 a fortnight and that pensioner couples on a maximum rate will receive an extra $54 a fortnight—and that includes Labor's clean energy supplement.

What we as a Labor government are about is ensuring that senior Australians, wherever they live, are being supported in the community. The raft of initiatives that have been undertaken to ensure that our senior Australians are able to live with some dignity are very important. The aged care package that Minister Butler released last week and the financial planning services that the Department of Human Services has been rolling out for senior Australians are all very sensible and supportive initiatives that I am very proud that we are able to have in place. But, again, the opposition's suggestion is to claw back the initiatives that are under the Household Assistance Package, reducing pensions by at least $350 a year. I think the options are very clear for all Australians about seniors.