Public hearings are scheduled for December 21, and January 13 and 14. Mr Morrison referred the bill to a joint human rights committee inquiry on Friday. “If there are other proposals that the government is putting to us through the course of the day, then obviously we’ll engage constructively.” “Our preference is for the committee process to run its course and then for us to finalise our position,” Labor’s shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers told reporters on Thursday. While the Coalition negotiates concessions to appease party factions and religious groups, Labor has reserved its position until after a committee inquiry. Prime Minister Scott Morrison with Attorney-General Michaelia Cash The bill was first proposed three years ago and is designed to extend more freedoms and protections from discrimination for people to exercise their religious beliefs. The Morrison government is still negotiating support for its contentious religious discrimination bill, after brokering a deal with moderate Liberal MPs to protect gay students from being expelled from religious schools on the basis of their sexuality. “One has to ask the question: Are they conflicted? Why are they resisting the implementation of such a body?” Religious freedom “Those who resist the introduction of an effective federal integrity body raise people’s curiosity,” she told the Senate. On Tuesday night, Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells questioned Mr Morrison’s delay introducing the government’s bill. Last week, Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer twice crossed the floor to back an independent MP’s federal integrity bill that the Morrison government opposes.
However, there is growing unrest within Coalition ranks over the government’s appetite to introduce the legislation. “There is only one obstacle to that being passed in this parliament –the Labor Party.”
“We have done the work to ensure that an effective Integrity Commission can be implemented,” Mr Morrison told Parliament on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison holding the ‘Commonwealth Integrity Commission Bill 2020’ draft in parliament on Wednesday. The Prime Minister tabled the Coalition’s draft bill on Wednesday, but MPs won’t be able to debate or make changes until it is formally introduced to parliament, which the government has so far declined to do. Labor argues the government’s proposed commission is not strong enough, complaining it would have no power to investigate scandals such as the ‘sports rorts’ funding controversy or the Leppington Triangle airport land deal. Mr Morrison blamed the delay on a lack of support from the Opposition – despite the government holding a majority in the House of Representatives (unless their own members cross the floor against it). Federal anti-corruption commissionĪ long-awaited federal integrity body is no closer to becoming a reality, with the Morrison government yet to introduce its bill while stonewalling attempts to debate a more popular crossbench proposal. With Mr Morrison hinting at a May election, and with a maximum of just 10 sitting days left in this Parliament, there is barely any time to look at these bills before the election – if Parliament returns at all in 2022, which some believe is not certain.