Don Farrell (SA, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I wish to put on the record the position of the opposition in respect of these three amendments, which I now note are going to be moved together. Any of these bodies that Senator Whish-Wilson refers to in his amendments have played important roles over their life, but the fact of the matter is that they now exist in name only. These amendments will not see these bodies staffed, funded or tasked for advice and therefore do nothing by way of reinstating them. As a result, the opposition will not be supporting these amendments.