Senator Eric Abetz

“A total of 17 Bills have now been rammed through the Parliament this week without a single minute of scrutiny - a single word of debate,” Senator Abetz said this evening.

The Senate has both a right and a responsibility to debate and review legislation – this legislation and all other legislation that comes before the Parliament. That is what Australians expect from this chamber.

“Ironically these are not my words.”

“They are the words of none other than Senator Chris Evans on the 14^th of June 2005 and they are worth repeating, “The Senate has both a right and a responsibility to debate and review legislation,” That’s right …and “That is what Australians expect from this chamber.”

“In 2005 Senator Evans believed the Senate had the absolute right to properly scrutinise Government legislation”

“Tonight in the Senate, Senator Evans did exactly the opposite to that which he passionately believed in 2005, presiding over Labor’s deliberate gagging of debate and the ramming of its legislation through the Senate without any scrutiny whatsoever.”

“What’s changed Senator Evans?”

1. The Coal Mining Industry (Long Service Leave) Legislation Amendment Bill 2011
2. The Tax Laws Amendment (2011 Measures No. 7) Bill 2011
3. The Navigation Amendment Bill 2011…..and
4. The Maritime Legislation Amendment Bill 2011
5. The Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill (No.2) 2011
6. The Aviation Transport Security Amendment (Air Cargo) Bill 2011
7. The Veterans’ Affairs Legislation Amendment (Participants in British Nuclear Tests) Bill 2011
8. The Protection of the Sea (prevention of pollution from Ships) Amendment (Oils in the Antarctic Area) Bill 2011
9. The Higher Education Support Amendment Bill (No 2) 2011
10. The Tax Laws Amendment (2011 measures No 8) bill 2011-11-23
11. The National Residue Survey (Excise) Levy Amendment (Deer) Bill 2011
12. The Indigenous Affairs legislation Amendment Bill (No 2) 2011
13. The Defence Legislation Amendment Bill 2011
14. The Auditor – General Amendment Bill 2011
15. The Personal Property Securities Amendment (Registration Commencement) Bill 2011
16. The Competition and Consumer Amendment Bill (No 1) 2011
17. The Broadcasting Services Amendment (Review of Future uses of Broadcasting Services Bands Spectrum) Bill 2011