Senator ELLISON (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Family Services and Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General)(5.18 p.m.) —What the government relied on was how other jurisdictions operated and the percentage of cost recovery that they had. There did not seem to be any problem in those jurisdictions. Therefore, with the growing uniformity across the country in relation to legislation and the discrete jurisdictions that exist, it was thought there would be no fallout from any increase as such.

In any event, in an area such as family law, which is terribly important, there was still the waiver provision. Some 40 per cent of applicants are successful in having their fees waived. There was still the safety net which would apply. From what other jurisdictions have told us, there would not be any problem in the increase of fees. Hitherto, since September last year, anecdotal evidence suggests that the government's course of action was sound.