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Thursday, 14 October 1999
Page: 9699


Senator ALLISON (11:34 AM) —I do not find that a very acceptable response on the part of the minister. As I said earlier, we have raised this matter in the parliament for a long time now, probably going back to when I first came into this place and the Senate superannuation committee considered the matter. To have the minister say just now that the review will happen who knows when and it will all be a question of this bill being passed does not seem to me to be a very acceptable assurance. I wonder whether the minister can give us a slightly stronger undertaking that it will take place and tell us what exactly the government has in mind in terms of the review and who might do that review. As you recall, the committee identified a problem with the Remuneration Tribunal being the one body to do this review, since the Remuneration Tribunal rarely acts unless it is invited to make radical changes to something of this sort. It would be unlikely to propose the sorts of changes which I think community expectations would suggest ought to be taken. I ask the minister if he can be a little more robust in his response to what might happen in the future in terms of this review.