Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Macdonald, I move:

That the resolution of the Senate of 25 June 2008, as amended, appointing the Select Committee on the National Broadband Network, be amended to omit “12 May 2010”, and substitute “17 June 2010”.

Question agreed to.

Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—My statement is the usual one, that we recognise the motion has the support both of the coalition and the Greens in the chamber. It therefore has a majority and we will not be calling a division.

Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I apologise to Senator O’Brien. The Greens have consistently proposed that the select committees, which were subject to a certain amount of abuse in the last year or two, be closed down, and we have been voting against the coalition. In this case, however, we made this decision about the implementation study, for which the Senate sought an order for production nearly two months ago now. The minister held that back until the very last minute, arguably to prevent the select committee from having the time to go through the assumptions, the costing and the models that have been produced. This deprived the select committee of the opportunity to test some of those assumptions.

As a result, the Australian Greens have consented to the opposition’s request to give the committee a little bit more time to investigate the implementation study. The government could have avoided that by laying that document on the table on the day that the Senate ordered it to be produced.

Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I thank the Greens for their support. I understand their views on this matter and concur with the rationale as to why we have sought the extension for one month. As all senators would know, the winding up of this select committee is sought by us at some stage in the near future, on the date now determined, as we have a select committee commencement that is contingent upon the winding up of the National Broadband Network committee.