Senator FAULKNER (5:32 PM) —This motion is not supported by the opposition. I think we need to be very clear about what is happening in the chamber right now: the government is preventing consideration of its own GST legislation. In the view of the opposition that is an absolute farce. What a shemozzle we have on our hands now, courtesy of the government. What an absolute disgrace from the government in relation to what they claim is the most important tax legislation in the history of the Commonwealth parliament. I suppose this is what happens—

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! There is too much noise in the chamber.

Senator FAULKNER —I suppose, Madam President, this is what happens when you leave such important tax legislation in the hands of people like Senator Alston and Senator Kemp. If the government actually wants to salvage its tax package, it ought to get John Howard back to Canberra now and see if he can run the show.

Senator Carr —That's right! Bring back John!

Senator FAULKNER —And bring back Peter Costello and see if he can run the show. Let us see if the Treasurer and the Prime Minister can try to sought this mess out. The coalition Senate leadership has really let the Prime Minister and the Treasurer down. I have to say that I suspect this whole process has, unfortunately, not been assisted by the fact that Senator Hill has been overseas. When you have an indolent dilettante like Senator Alston running the show, this is what you get.

The PRESIDENT —Senator Faulkner! That language is not appropriate.

Senator FAULKNER —If it was not appropriate, Madam President, of course I withdraw it. When you have someone like Senator Alston running the show, the government's strategy is bound to cause grief; it is just bound to run off the rails. Not only do we have the penchant of Senator Alston to not even attend the Senate when we have a division, but we also have a situation where Senator Alston has proven during all three question times this week that he just does not have a detailed grasp of policy.

But what has to happen now is that Senator Alston and the remainder of the coalition Senate leadership have to explain to the Prime Minister why they cannot deliver. Why can't the Senate proceed with this legislation now? Why has this legislation been delayed? Basically we have a situation where the Prime Minister, in my view, just adopts the NATO tactic, if you like—bomb the Senate, but don't commit the ground forces to come in here and debate the legislation.

Senator Vanstone —That is appalling.

Senator FAULKNER —The Prime Minister needs to commit himself to sorting this out. I think we are entitled to an explanation as to why Senator Ian Campbell and others have not explained this situation.

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! There are far too many interjections. Senator Faulkner has the call.

Honourable senators interjecting—

The PRESIDENT —Order! I am trying to listen to Senator Faulkner. Senators not in their own seats shall not interject.

Senator Bolkus —You had better stop Senator Vanstone, then.

Senator Carr —That is bolshie Mandy doing that, isn't it?

The PRESIDENT —Order! Your leader is attempting to address the Senate.

Senator FAULKNER —We need to make it clear that the Labor Party has fulfilled its responsibilities in relation to this debate. We have constructively engaged in the committee, we have set out our case and we are ready, willing and able to commence the committee consideration of these bills now. The Labor Party stands ready to debate the detail of the GST right now. Let us look at the process that has led to this Costello induced legislative shambles that we have on our plate.

The PRESIDENT —Mr Costello.

Senator FAULKNER —Mr Costello shambles. The four committees of inquiry were established on 25 November last year. Labor had proposed one select committee; the government rejected that and went for a four-committee model—three committees chaired by Labor senators and one by a Democrat. To expedite the process, the first committee met as early as 18 December last year. Labor senators properly participated in a very gruelling Senate committee process. On the legislation, the Labor Party has assisted expediting the passage of two of the tax reform bills—A New Tax System (Fringe Benefits Reporting) Bill 1998 and A New Tax System (Medicare Levy Surcharge—Fringe Benefits) Bill 1998 —and they, because of the constructive approach of the opposition, were improved with opposition amendment and passed prior to the 1 April start-up date.

We have been constructive. We are ready to deal with the committee stage of these bills and the government are not. I say to the government: join with the Labor Party, because you will get the numbers, and get the committee stage debate on now. The government themselves, in Senator Kemp's speech, circulated 128 amendments of their own to the bill. There is a question of timing here. We are facing a bit of an unreasonable legislative logjam in the Senate at the moment.

What you have to ask is: where has the Treasurer been in all this? Have Senator Ian Campbell and Senator Alston kept the Treasurer and the Prime Minister in the loop? What is the position of the Treasurer in relation to the consideration of these bills that the Treasurer claims are amongst the most important the Commonwealth parliament has ever debated in its history? Mr Howard and Mr Costello have demanded that the Senate get on with the job; they have demanded that we deal with the GST legislation. Apparently now they are saying, `That doesn't matter; we will adjourn these bills, perhaps to Friday, perhaps to next week.' They demanded that we get on with it but now they are willing to adjourn it.

The Senate was recalled for a two-week sitting period to deal with the GST legislation. And that is what we want to do. The government have simply made the decision, `We will avoid the debate. We are not going to stick with the views the Prime Minister has expressed so publicly for so long on this issue.' Remember what the Prime Minister went to the Tasmanian division of the Liberal Party and said on 6 November. Let me quote it for you:

. . . we will use every legitimate means at our disposal to implement that tax plan with the minimum of delay . . . we intend to implement the policy that we took to the election with the greatest possible dispatch.

What did he say on the Sunday program 18 days later? Let me quote him again:

The great fear I have of an inquiry is that it will be used as a device to delay and obstruct and to frustrate the will of the Australian people expressed at the election.

The greatest fear he has must be from people on his own team who are proposing now not to deal. The greatest fear must be his own team—they do not want to go ahead with the debate. What about the Prime Minister trumpeting in the House of Representatives on 18 February this year in answer to a dorothy dix question:

I say again to those in the Senate who are delaying this taxation package, to those who would seek to defeat the verdict of the Australian people: listen.

That is what the Prime Minister said. Why aren't the people on that side of the chamber listening? Why aren't they listening to their own Prime Minister? They are flagrantly disregarding the views of the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, and the views of the Treasurer, Mr Costello. According to your own Prime Minister, he obviously thinks that you are seeking to defeat what he claims is the verdict of the Australian people. We are entitled to ask the question in this chamber at this time: why is that the case? Why are you delaying a measure which the Prime Minister trumpets is so vital to Australia's economic welfare? Why are you, according to your own Prime Minister, delaying consideration of billions of dollars of personal income tax?

I have to say, and I am sure my colleagues know this, Mr Costello has not been quiet on this matter either. Who could forget what he said on the John Laws program on 20 April—yesterday. What about the eye rolling from Mr Costello, the deep sighing theatrics we had on the John Laws program? This is what he said:

The Senate's got a whole week this week . . .

That is what Mr Costello said.

Senator Carr —No-one told him.

Senator FAULKNER —No-one told Senator Campbell and Senator Alston. Mr Costello said:

It's got a whole week next week . . .

He went on:

I think we should be trying to aim to get this debate on and the vote as quickly as possible. I don't even know why we have had to wait until now to have the vote.

What about Mr Costello on 1 February this year? He said:

Let's pass tax. Let's move on past reform of indirect tax and income tax and the welfare benefits and we can move on then to business tax and we can move on then to faster growth and more employment.

Well, come on down Peter Costello. We are ready to debate your legislation, but your own government senators in this very chamber have put off the debate, probably until next week.

Mr Costello and Mr Howard have had enough time to do the groundwork for this. They have had months to talk to the Independents and the minor parties so that they can have a few contingency plans and the odd sleazy deal sorted out. Why haven't the Manager of Government Business and the abysmal and abject failure of an Acting Leader of the Government in the Senate told Mr Costello and Mr Howard about this? Why have they embarrassed them so much? Why didn't they tell them the risk was that they would say, `You want us to debate it, Mr Howard and Mr Costello, but, sorry, we are going to move a motion to delay debate'? Why didn't the government in the Senate keep their own leadership in the loop? This is the final humiliation—the government proposing a motion not to debate the committee stage of the GST bills.

Remember the agonising debate in December. Who can forget them organising the extra time for the Senate to sit? I think it was an extra three weeks. The Treasurer and the Democrats spent hours on the shape of the GST committee process. It was agonising. Who could ever forget it? You had so much time involved in that particular exercise so that you could assure everybody that the legislation would be considered by the Senate by 30 June. The bills have been brought back in plenty of time to allow the government to debate them.

The buck and the GST legislation stop with the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, and the Treasurer, Mr Costello. There was all that hectoring and all that exhorting of the Senate by Mr Costello to get on with the job. John Howard and Peter Costello tonight stand exposed as hypocrites and incompetents. We have heard the Manager of Government Business blame the Democrats. It is the oldest political trick in the book. You move the motion yourself to adjourn the debate and you blame someone else. This is not the Democrats' legislation, it is the government's, and this is the government's motion to adjourn the debate on this legislation.

I want to make it absolutely clear that the Labor Party will join with the government right now to bring on the debate on the GST in the Senate. We are ready to go—bring it on now. Don't anyone listen to all the weaselly, slimy, sleazy sell-out words of Senator Alston and government members in the Senate. If the government wish to proceed with these bills and if the government wish to have the committee stage of debate on these bills, they can. We, the opposition, will give them the numbers for this debate.

The Democrats are being set up as fall guys for the government. I hope on this occasion that the Democrats are smart enough not to be the fall guys for the government's incompetence. Peter Costello is in charge of the legislation. He wanted extra time. We gave him extra time, and now he has squandered it. He has failed to do his job. He and his coalition Senate leadership have failed the Prime Minister.

We do not know when the government plans to bring the committee stage on. At the moment we have a motion before the chair rearranging business so that these matters cannot be brought on until before Friday of this week. We heard, in the speech the Manager of Government Business made, that it might take longer. So we may in fact be aborting consideration of these bills until Tuesday of next week, possibly later for all the opposition know.

What is absolutely clear to all opposition senators in this place—and what I believe will be clear to the Australian public—is that the government has brought this absolute farce upon itself. Bring John Howard back now; even he could not do any worse. Perhaps Mr Costello can play a bit of a role in this. Let us sort out Mr Costello's dog's breakfast—because that is what we are left with. What we say is: bring on the committee stage now. We have had enough of this farce and this nonsense from the government after the Senate and the opposition have been implored for so long to bring this debate not only on but to a conclusion. We are ready, willing and able to debate it now. It should be debated now and the government stands condemned for adjourning it.