Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Payments) Share this | Hansard source

I could just ask how so, but, again, I will go to the dissenting report from Labor senators. That has really homed in on one of the great concerns the opposition has with this legislation. It goes to the transparency and the governance in the bill. This is notwithstanding the two government amendments that you have just put forward—no doubt to garner the support of some on the crossbench. Otherwise, we wouldn't see these two amendments that enable some sort of transparency.

This is what the dissenting report said about the bill: the Labor senators believe that the enabling legislation has been structured deliberately to minimise parliamentary scrutiny and/or veto of ministerial directions. The report also indicated that the bill has failed to provide sufficient oversight for the activities of the corporation. Now, I do note, as I said, the two amendments. But they don't go anywhere near allaying concerns that this legislation addresses the lack of governance arrangements and the lack of transparency. And, of course, as we have said before, we believe there has been a lack of proper consultation on this bill, and nothing that you have said to me here this afternoon has allayed those fears. So if you can add to the consultation and address my concerns about lack of transparency and the lack of good governance arrangements, I'd appreciate that.