Senator MINCHIN (Special Minister of State;Minister Assisting the Prime Minister) (1:31 PM) —The question suggests that the government would withdraw the bill. The government is not withdrawing the bill. The government has put this bill to the Senate and it wants the Senate to pass the bill in the form presented to the Senate. Obviously, we should and will debate the amendments that have been put and see what form the bill comes out of the Senate in. It will then go to the House of Representatives for the House of Representatives to consider its reaction to the bill. We hope and intend that there will be a full debate on this bill and that we will pass the bill—albeit, as it would appear, with some amendments which the government may not be able to accept in the House of Representatives.

In response to Senator Woodley in relation to the RDA, I can only deal with amendments as presented by other parties to the bill as presented by the government. The amendments presented to the government on the RDA are, for the reasons I have outlined, not able to be supported by the government. I have repeatedly said on behalf of the government that, in relation to the whole bill, we are not in a position to compromise it or reduce its workability but any propositions on any issues which meet government policy, are workable and practical will obviously be considered by us.

The government has put in 99 amendments to this bill which attempt to meet some of the concerns raised by the Senate last time and which meet them in a way that we think clarifies the operation of the act, improves the act, and meets some of the misunderstandings that were raised in the last Senate debate. That is an act of good faith on our part. It shows our reasonableness in the way we wish the bill to be dealt with.

Throughout this debate, we will continue to treat all proposed amendments on their merits and consider them against the criteria—which I am bound to apply as the representative of the government—of whether or not they are consistent with government policy, practical and workable. Amendments put before the government in relation to the RDA do not meet those criteria.