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Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Page: 13424

Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP (Mackellar) (01:08): It gives me a great deal of pleasure to say we will be voting in favour of these amendments because here is my private member's bill, introduced in February this year, which says, 'Repeal section 27(1)(a) of the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992', and here is the government amendment doing exactly the same thing. The only thing is that that lot over there and Mr Wilkie and Mr Windsor all voted against my private member's bill to abolish discrimination. Furthermore, I foreshadowed an amendment for deduction for employer contributions to the superannuation funds, which is now being introduced in accordance with our policy, but the difference is this: the Assistant Treasurer has misled this parliament. He said in his second reading speech that the bill he introduced earlier got rid of age discrimination. He misled the House, because it did not. He then put up on his website a dishonest version of his speech which said the government will amend its own legislation. He then went on radio and pretended that he had said this all along. The member is dishonest. The minister is—

Government members interjecting—

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Mackellar will withdraw.

Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP: I withdraw and rephrase, Mr Speaker. The shadow—or, rather, he will be shadow—the Assistant Treasurer has been caught out misleading the parliament and the people. The Assistant Treasurer has finally given in to the policies which we announced in February of this year. But there is an additional problem, and it is this: when the minister says that he will amend his bill, he is putting at risk his own legislation, because in this bill now are two measures relating to taxation, and section 55 of the Constitution says that a taxation matter may only be dealt with in a single bill. The minister should withdraw his initial bill and introduce two separate pieces of legislation. There is plenty of precedent for this where previously the legislation has been seen to be at risk and the government has chosen to withdraw its bill and introduce two separate pieces of legislation.

I do not expect for a minute that the Assistant Treasurer wishes to comply with the proprieties of this House. He has shown that by saying in his second reading speech that this bill ends age discrimination when it does not and then putting up on his website an alternative speech, which he purports to be his second reading speech—his tabling speech—saying that the government will amend the bill. The long and the short of it is that the Assistant Treasurer has in fact left on the record in his second reading speech, his tabling speech—a speech which can receive the attention of the court in any interpretation of the law, an error—and it is wrong. He will not correct the record of this misleading of the parliament.

I say to you, Mr Speaker, that a way has to be found in which the error and the deliberate misleading by the Assistant Treasurer has been left on the record. It must be corrected.

The SPEAKER: Order! The member will withdraw that remark. She knows that that can only be raised in debate through a substantive motion.

Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP: Perhaps, Mr Speaker, you will tell me which particular remark.

The SPEAKER: The member is quite aware of the way that she ratcheted up the accusation that she made.

Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP: Mr Speaker, the minister said this bill establishes—

The SPEAKER: The member will withdraw!

Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP: I withdraw, whichever.

The SPEAKER: The member will withdraw!

Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP: I withdraw, Mr Speaker. (Time expired)

The SPEAKER: The question is that the amendments be agreed to.

Question agreed to.

The SPEAKER: The question now is that the bill, as amended, be agreed to.

Question put.

The House divided.     [01: 18 ]

(The Speaker—Mr Harry Jenkins)

Question agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.