Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As you would have heard me say at the outset, I thanked the government for its response, which is the motion before the chair and not the committee's report—but the government's response to it. I did want to acknowledge the work that my former Senate colleague and friend, Senator Sue Boyce, made to that. The point I am making, Madam Acting Deputy President, is that it is a good report, and the government has acknowledged that in its response, which we are debating. But Senator Siewert is indicating that it is a report that has received wide acclaim. What I am saying is: if the Labor Party and the Greens continue to abuse the processes of the Senate committees in the way they are doing, and I have mentioned a couple of instances, then this committee report will not have the same standing, because people will say: 'Oh, that's a Senate committee report; that's a Senate that puts on one government member when the government has the largest number of senators in the chamber on a committee.'

My point is, and it is germane to this particular report: it was well received but it will not be well received if people start to say: 'Senate committee reports are just things that the Greens and the Labor Party play with.' They set them up just to advance their political interest, rather than what has been the time honoured use of Senate committee inquiries to consider good things, as this committee has done, reported on and come up with a set of recommendations. That sort of respect with which Senate committee reports are treated will not be there if the Greens and the Labor Party continue to abuse the processes of the committee system in this Senate for their own political purposes. People will say: 'Well, is this committee just another Labor-Green political shambles—another Green-union political slam through inquiry that we should take no notice of?' Or will they ask whether it is a serious report like this one.

I would like to make it clear to Senator Siewert, who did chair this committee: it is her political group that gives Labor the support that they need to bring forward these political inquiries, which bring the Senate into disrepute. I do not mind being on a committee where I am outvoted, but when you have one government member out of five or when you set up an inquiry knowing that the two government members will not be available and you give them one day's notice. That brings the whole process into disrepute. The regard we have for this committee report will not be there in the future, if Labor and the Greens continue—(Time expired)