Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

We will be very helpful in supporting senators and their interest in this bill, including through briefings that can be provided and, of course, the important work that the legislation committee will do. We believe this is enough time for people to get across the detail, particularly when they will be supported by the work of the Public Service and briefings that can be provided, to allow for debate to occur in the final weeks of this year. So the government respectfully puts that a 23 November reporting date is appropriate. We don't believe there is a need to delay this to February, which is what the coalition are seeking to do, because they oppose the bill. Fundamentally they don't want this bill to be debated in this place. This allows for a reasonable amount of time for it to come back and be considered by this chamber.