Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Environment, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I do want to make a contribution. This is a significant issue. I want to start by commending all senators for their conduct in this debate. It is so important to so many people on all sides of the debate. I have not witnessed anything that could be described as anything other than respectful.

I outlined my views on the Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022 during the second reading debate. I want to also indicate that there were a couple of amendments to this bill in the process of being drafted which haven't been completed. If we proceed to conclude the debate on this bill today there will be no opportunity for those amendments to be considered, so I'm hopeful that we are able to—I'm not seeking to delay the completion of this bill beyond the end of this sitting period. I would like for the committee to be able to consider amendments, once their drafting is completed, as part of the debate on this bill.

That is the reason I've asked for this to come into committee. The amendments are not ready at this stage, but we won't have another opportunity to consider them. No-one here has yet been able to contemplate what they are. I don't have my head fully around the technical nature of a couple of the things that would be contemplated in these amendments. I'm not seeking to detain this. I'm not seeking to prevent this from progressing to its conclusion and enabling laws to be passed by this parliament. That is not my intention at all.

That is the reason I'm seeking a committee stage on this bill. I'd also like to seek an indication from the proponent of this bill on whether that would be acceptable—it being a government bill, or at least a bill moved by the Manager of Government Business—to supporters of the bill. Would we be able, at some point in this sitting fortnight, to contemplate those amendments when they are completed?