David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I will just put on the record that it is good to see that both the government and the opposition see the need for these amendments, or amendments to this effect, to come through to ensure that Australian humanitarian organisations have the protection they need. We hear the concerns raised about whether or not the referral from states under part 5.3 would potentially be a barrier and require the consent of state parties who referred those powers to the Commonwealth.

For the record, the humanitarian organisations have been asking for this to be clarified not for weeks or for months but for years, and what I would hope that we get from the government is some clear commitment to a timetable as to when they could expect the goodwill that we hear in the chamber to actually result in the legislative changes. I don't want to go beyond the hard marker, but could we get some short indication from the minister about whether there are processes in place, whether they are engaging with the states, whether there is a timetable and, if not, whether there is a commitment to make that happen? Can we just have that. I know that there are many humanitarian and aid organisations anxiously listening to see if their employees, their boards and others are going to get the protection that they need to do lifesaving work.