MOTIONS

Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for Finance, Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Women, Minister for Government Services and Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (12:13): We will not be supporting the suspension of standing orders. Senator McKenzie interjecting— Senator GALLAGHER: Thank you. That shouldn't come as a surprise.

Thanks for the offer of help from those opposite, but, as you know, draft legislation has been released, which we have— Senator Cash: How many weeks has it been? Senator GALLAGHER: Well, last time the Senate met, there was a lot of concern about the time to get it right and you wanted more consultation. And now, in the interests of political opportunism, you are saying, 'Raise it.' Senator Cash interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order!

Senator GALLAGHER: We have a draft out now for consultation that's due to close on 21 August. We have made it clear— Senator Cash interjecting— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order! Senator GALLAGHER: That's not what I said, Senator Cash.

You can continue to repeat it, but it's not what I said. We have a piece of legislation out for consultation— The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator Gallagher, could you resume your seat. The previous two speakers were heard in silence.

Minister, you have the call. Senator GALLAGHER: Thank you for your protection, Deputy President. The legislation has been released.

It was released on 4 August. The consultation closes on 21 August. We've said from the beginning that this would be dealt with in addition to a number of other issues, as is standard practice for tax legislation.

When new GST legislation was introduced, there were 30 bills that followed and were passed to implement that tax reform. We have made it clear there would be— Senator McKenzie interjecting— Senator GALLAGHER: Deputy President, please! The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Order, Senator McKenzie.

Senator McKenzie: Nobody voted for this. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Senator McKenzie! Senator GALLAGHER: We were clear there would be subsequent pieces of legislation that the Senate would deal with, and that is the process that we are following.

In addition, Treasury has been talking with all of the major lenders, as well as the Customer Owned Banking Association. They are clear about the policy intent, and the banks have confirmed they can take account of the policy decision in the decisions they make without the law having actually passed the parliament. This goes to the point of urgency.

We have had those discussions. We have made it clear that this particular issue will be picked up in draft legislation that is out for consultation, and we will deal with it, as we had foreshadowed after the first tranche was released. I hear the concerns from those opposite around marriage breakdown and family and domestic violence, and I accept that that is an issue that the government and indeed the parliament should be dealing with.

All of our measures that we have to deal with that, you have opposed. If, as you say, that is your driving concern, then you should also have supported all of the other programs that we are doing to deal with women, safe accommodation, supply of accommodation and supports for women who are in that situation, Senator Mckenzie. Let's be clear to everybody: you didn't support the tax reform that we introduced, and this is another way for you to continue that argument now, when you know that this legislation and the issue that you raised through your attempt to suspend standing orders are being dealt with.

The government, both in that debate and indeed afterwards, committed to dealing with this in subsequent tranches of legislation. That legislation is out for consultation. I'm sure you've all read it.

I'm sure you're all across it. That will close on 21 August, and legislation will come back through this parliament—through the House and into the Senate—for passing, and we look forward to when that legislation is ready. When that legislation is ready and has passed the House of Representatives, we would imagine that there would be absolutely no hold-up to that legislation passing this chamber, because of the position that you have taken today.

The minute it comes to this chamber, that legislation should be supported and should be passed, if the arguments that you have put forward this morning are genuine. In the absence of that, a political stunt—a suspension of standing orders, which the Senate gets into at the beginning of every sitting day—isn't actually going to deliver the change. The change will come through the legislation that this government is leading, and when it has come through the House of Representatives, I look forward to the unanimous support of this chamber to get that legislation done as quickly as possible.