Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, these bills—the 11 bills you just read out—were introduced into the House of Representatives yesterday by the government. This happened after the failure of the government to get consensus on the draft bills that were distributed around the community over the last few weeks. The government now are asking us to speak on 11 bills—525 pages of complicated tax legislation—after giving us notice last night at eight o'clock and then to have a considered debate in the people's house. They talked about the new paradigm—a whole new approach—but every time I raise with the Leader of the House the changes that are being made he says, 'The sins of the father should be visited on the son'—that is, 'You did it to us; therefore we're doing it to you.' I will move to adjourn the debate, and I will do so because now is the time, in the wake of the fact that the matter has gone to committee, to have a proper debate about the tax bills. I move:

That the debate be adjourned.

Question put.

The House divided [11:08]

(The Speaker—Mr Harry Jenkins)

Question negatived.

That represents the death blow for the new paradigm—and good on you, let it be noted. The House of Representatives Economics Committee reports on 21 November on these 11 bills of 525 pages. So now, following the carbon tax, the government has yet again confirmed that in this new paradigm—this new parliament that the Independents so obviously talked about—here we go again. I remember that it was the member for Lyne who was urging in committee meetings that in fact the parliament should not have a rushed government agenda and that it should go to committee before the parliament actually makes a decision. But that is okay—hypocrisy be thy name.

The bills have clearly been rushed, and I say so because even this morning the government was downloading parts of the bills on the internet. It still had not actually—

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