Member

I also want to speak to clause 3 and Opposition amendment 12. I am a little cautious about clause 3. The powers enabled by the Bill must not be overly restricted by the sunset clause, as future Governments may not be as interventionist when it comes to our critical sovereign industry and may not be guaranteed to renew them. If these powers are too quickly withdrawn, it will leave the industry with greater uncertainty. For that reason, I oppose amendment 12. I understand the instinct behind it—Parliament should always be careful about broad powers, and it is our right to ask how they will be used, how long they will last and what accountability will sit around them—but I do not support the amendment as, in my view, it would risk building unnecessary uncertainty into the Bill.