Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I have to say that everything we have learned in the committee stage completely justifies the reason that the coalition will not be supporting this bill. It is one thing to support sound governance and appropriate accountability, but I have to say that accountability on behalf of the Australian people must always be accompanied by transparency, and this bill does nothing more and nothing less than increase executive power.

It's very dangerous when a government that hates transparency takes things away from the parliament and gives it to a minister without appropriate oversight. Unfortunately, this bill does nothing more and nothing less than expand executive influence. It limits guaranteed parliamentary visibility in key areas, and it does so, sadly, as I said, without being given the level of scrutiny that it should have been given. In the interest of time—we're about to hit a hard marker—as I said, I'm very glad that we had this Q&A, because it's totally justified that this is nothing more and nothing less than a ministerial grab for power.