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

I'm sorry if I've breached confidence. That was not the intention of making that remark, but I am responding to the fact that there are multiple avenues for discussions to occur. You criticise the government. I'm merely saying that there was plenty of opportunity for discussions to be had on these matters well before this committee stage of the report. In relation to the inquiry, there has been a Senate select inquiry into this that did go for some period of time.

These issues have been well ventilated in public debate over a number of years that I can recall. This legislation seeks to provide the certainty that the reforms are changing. The reforms are being made. It provides certainty about the way forward, and then the subsequent opportunity for extensive discussion and consultations will happen on the second piece of legislation, and I would encourage everyone who's interested in that to get involved and to engage and to engage early. We as ministers stand ready to support those consultations.