Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Well there we have it, ladies and gentlemen—that is the deal, the deal that was just handed to Senator Culleton and Senator Hanson as they were walking into the chamber to make sure they did the right thing on the recommittal. What I would say to One Nation is: understand this—you have been conned, because you cannot bind a future parliament. If another government, or this government, comes in at another time and says they need to change the passenger movement charge, they just make that amendment and take the five-year so-called freeze out. It is just a bunch of words that have no effect on the capacity of a future parliament to change the passenger movement charge.

I would say to One Nation, let us remember that this government went to the last election with a commitment not to increase the passenger movement charge. That is how much this commitment is worth—we had an election promise to the Australian people that you would not change the rate but that has been brushed away, so how easy do you reckon it would be, if this government were still in after the next election, for them to walk away from that commitment? They walked away from an election commitment to the Australian people; they have done a deal with you because they have egg on their face and they want to get the bill voted on, wanted to get a deal. They have given you a deal at the last minute but it is worthless, because any future parliament can simply make a change.