MOTIONS

Senator SCARR (Queensland—Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) (16:28): I seek leave to make a short statement. Leave granted. Senator SCARR: The coalition will not be supporting this motion.

As noted in the Senate Standing Committee of Privileges 49th report, it is open to the Senate to take such action within its powers, as it considers necessary, to force a government to comply with an order, recognising that it would be only in extreme circumstances that such measures would be considered. Even then, they may not universally be regarded as justifiable.

While the coalition are concerned about the Labor government's secrecy and noncompliance with OPDs, our preferred approach is to consider each instance of noncompliance on a case-by-case basis before determining if any punitive or coercive remedies are justified.