Senator MACKAY (9:44 AM) —I will make some closing comments. I am glad that Senator Harradine raised that issue in relation to potential pregnancy or breastfeeding. I would like to advise Senator Harradine that I am informed that Minister Reith was in fact the most trenchant in opposing that particular proposition. In fact, it was the one that Labor was most insistent on. We got Minister Reith to a situation whereby he had to cave in in relation to that in particular. I just want to put that on the record. It is not by any good grace of the minister involved; it is because of the nature of the numbers in this place. Perhaps had Senator Campbell undertaken the negotiations they may have gone more expeditiously. I just want to indicate that that was something that we pursued assiduously and, in terms of the humiliating backdown and cave-in that Minister Reith had to wear on this bill, that that was a key point in relation to it.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Motion (by Senator Ian Campbell) agreed to:

That the committee does not insist on its amendments Nos 4 and 6 to which the House of Representatives has disagreed and agrees to the amendments made by the House of Representatives in place of those amendments.

Resolution reported; report adopted.