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

I move Greens amendment (1) on sheet 3472:

(1) Schedule 1, item 2, page 8 (after line 30), at the end of section 110ABB, add:

(4) To avoid doubt, this Part is not intended to limit or prevent in any way the performance of a function, or the exercise of a power, otherwise than under this Part by an entity other than the Committee.

This amendment would say, for abundant clarity, that whatever amendments are made through this bill to parliamentary procedure and oversight would have no impact on existing parliamentary oversight procedures. I can already see the near future, and I can tell you now that, if this bill is passed, we'll be in Senate estimates, asking questions of Defence about why on earth they're spending $45 billion to buy six boats in Adelaide that are undergunned, won't arrive for a couple of decades and will only enrich their mates, and we'll be told: 'You can't ask that question in Senate estimates. We have our secret Defence committee, where they have robust discussions about this in dark rooms, away from the public gaze.' When we ask questions like, 'How many billion dollars are you giving to Donald Trump today for AUKUS, what on earth are we going to get for it and is there a promise we might actually get a boat at the end of it?' we'll get the answer from Moriarty mark 2 along the lines of: 'Well, Senator, you know full well that this would seriously impact national security.'