Senator Gerard P. Craughwell - speech from 28 May 2019

Minister, I am a bit concerned about the use of the word oversight, because I do not necessarily subscribe to the notion that consultation means oversight. Consultation is exactly what it says on the tin, that is, that the Minister, indeed yourself as Minister for Justice, may have criteria that you want taken into account. We are not asking you to be able to veto anything, we are asking that they would consult with you, listen to what has to be said, listen to what the government has to say, take that into account as they draft up their terms and procedures. Oversight is a different thing, because oversight would suggest that you would have some sort of a veto over their deliberations. I mean, ultimately, I think we all accept now that there is a veto there anyway, if the government does not like the three names, they can go ahead and appoint whoever they want. But oversight is a little too strong for my liking. Not because of the bill, it is because of the constitution. Exactly, so why have the bill at all? Thank you.