Senator ALLISON (Leader of the Australian Democrats) (2:50 PM) —My question is to the Leader of the Government in the Senate. After last year’s election the Prime Minister said:

Was it not provocative for the government to force the Telstra bills through the Senate in a week with a one-day hearing? Was it not an abuse of power to deny a reasonable request for an extra six days to take the massive workplace relations bills to public inquiry? Why did you refuse to allow the superannuation contributions splitting bill any inquiry at all? Do you regard as provocative your decision to not allow evidence to be taken in the Northern Territory from the Territorians who will have your dump dumped on them? How careful and wise is it to gag debate and prevent the Senate from doing its job of scrutinising legislation?

Senator HILL (Minister for Defence) —The fundamental difference is that the Democrats believe that the role of the Senate is to obstruct the government in implementing its program. The coalition went to the people, put detailed policies to the community, received overwhelming endorsement for its program and now has not only a commitment to do its best to legislate that program but also a responsibility to do so.

Certainly, the Senate obviously has an important role in scrutiny. There is no quarrel about that. But, at the end of the day, the government have to be entitled to get a vote and to seek to do their best to implement their commitments. The commitments that we made in relation to continuing the economic improvement of this country, trying to lock in the record low unemployment of which we are so proud, and trying to create an economic environment where we can continue to achieve real wage income growth are things that we are determined to achieve. We will bring our bills to the Senate as promptly as we can. We will allow adequate scrutiny within the Senate.

We have endorsed three important inquiries to take place over the next fortnight. Senators will have to work hard in the two up-weeks to do that job, but that is part of the responsibility of being a senator. The Senate will then have the opportunity to come back and debate those matters in this chamber in a fortnight’s time. It is true that within that fortnight we expect votes on those important bills, because the Australian people are entitled to have the government implement their program. It is our responsibility to bring those bills as promptly as we can to the parliament and to do our best to get the numbers in this place to achieve an outcome that we believe is in the best interests of the Australian community.

Senator ALLISON —Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, the Senate web site says:

Does the minister believe that those Australians who re-elected this government, knowing that the Senate would still be able to review and scrutinise legislation, would support the government’s continued abuse of Senate processes? Minister, will you guarantee here and now that legislative debate in this place will not be gagged?

Senator HILL (Minister for Defence) —How the parliamentary web site knows what was in the minds of voters is beyond me, I have to say. But I accept that the people of Australia expect the Senate to scrutinise legislation. They expect senators to work hard at that task, and we want senators to work hard at that task. But in the end we want a vote. The Leader of the Opposition in the Senate yesterday said that we would not get a vote without a guillotine. If that is the attitude of the Australian Labor Party—that they intend to talk out legislation in this place—then we will do what is necessary to get a vote.

Senator Chris Evans —Mr President, I rise on a point of order. The minister made an allegation that is not correct, and he knows it. He seeks to misrepresent my position. I made it clear that he would have to use a guillotine to get all the legislation through.

The PRESIDENT —That was not a point of order; it was more a point of explanation.

Senator HILL —Senator Chris Evans says that he said we would not achieve our program without a guillotine. I say that we have a responsibility to do our best to get votes in this place. The people of Australia expect the Senate to vote on bills—not to not vote on bills. I am afraid that we have a fundamental difference of view with the Australian Democrats as to what is the role of this chamber. (Time expired)