Mr GRIFFIN (5:44 AM) —I will be relatively brief, given the time of morning. I will make a couple of brief points on the Gene Technology Bill 2000 and the debate that has occurred around it. I concur with the Minister for Health and Aged Care that this is very important legislation. It sets up the regulatory regime around gene technology in the future for this country. It has been a long time in gestation and I suppose here, at this early hour of the morning, we see the birth. I would like to focus on the recommendations that came out of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee report because of some comments that have been made publicly on that by a range of different community groups.

There were 33 recommendations in the Senate report. Of those seven did not require action under this legislation; 26 did. Of those recommendations, in terms of the amendments moved by the Labor Party and supported by the government, some 10 recommendations have been accepted in full; eight have been substantially addressed; four addressed in part; and four amendments have not been accepted, although in our view two of those no longer require action. We are in a situation where two amendments in relation to a statutory authority proposal and also third party appeal rights were rejected by the government. I am very sorry that that occurred, because I do not think it was necessary. If these amendments had been passed they would have improved the bill. The government in earlier times said that this legislative system was world's best practice, and I think that the amendments that have come through from the process in the Senate make it world better practice. That is certainly something that we can look to the future as being a basis for a regime which, hopefully, we will find works well.

What we tried to do is improve transparency and accountability in this regime, because I remain concerned about developments that could occur in this field. I think the most important thing we can do is ensure that as much information as possible is available publicly to ensure that community groups and those interested in this particular area are able to see what the regulator is doing and be aware of developments as they occur within the system.

I would also like to put on the record that the issue for the future will be the question of monitoring. I would like to put industry and community groups on notice that there is a lot of responsibility involved with the development of this technology. There are some great opportunities for this country but there are also some issues that have to be addressed in the future. Beyond that there also is a range of ethical issues which came up in some of the debate in the Senate on this legislation. I think the minister would certainly agree that those issues will need to be addressed. We certainly stand here today prepared to work together and look towards what can be done with what are some very difficult issues.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank several people for the work that they were able to do on this bill, including Anita Hirschhorn from my staff. Mike Forshaw and Rose Crowley from the Senate certainly did some good work and have helped develop a much better proposal. There are a range of other issues I would like to get into but, frankly, I am too tired. I commend the bill to the House.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

House adjourned at 5.48 a.m. (Friday) until Tuesday, 6 February 2001, at 2.00 p.m., in accordance with the resolution agreed to this sitting.