Gosche Mark: Immigration Advisers Licensing Bill — In Committee 
Gosche Mark: Immigration Advisers Licensing Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:638;Page:8602] 
Hon MARK GOSCHE (Labour—Maungakiekie) 
: 
 I am not quite sure what to make of that speech. It was from one of the bright young stars of the National Party caucus who had something to say about dark clouds at “9.30 o’clock”—even though it was quarter to ten at night. Nevertheless I suppose those members have to learn how to filibuster sometime. One would have thought that National had a research unit that would give those members a few notes about what is in the bill. I will talk about that because I think this stuff is actually quite important. Some of us do work as MPs when we go home from here on a Thursday evening. We have clinics—some of us have them on Friday some of us on Saturday some of us on Monday and some of us on all of those days—and people come to see us about immigration matters a great deal. I do not know about members on the other side of the Chamber. I do not think that the public see National MPs as being interested in the problems of human beings. 
Let us just talk about what this bill does because for Labour MPs it is really important to regulate this industry and to give clear notice to people as to who can do that and who cannot. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: How are we going to help Sunan Siriwan? 
Hon MARK GOSCHE 
: We will come to Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith a little later. He has gone very silent in his questioning on this matter lately. One would have thought that in his call he may have wanted to add some names to the area of prohibition. But did we hear anything about that? Did we hear Dr Lockwood Smith questioning why MPs and their staff should be exempt under this bill? No we did not hear a thing about that. He asked a question a day for a year and a half or whatever it was on immigration matters— 
Hon Chris Carter 
: And now silence. 
Hon MARK GOSCHE 
: He is completely silent. Why is that? Why has he gone completely silent? Why has he not used the golden opportunity as any decent Opposition member would to talk about the exemption for MPs and their staff that is in this part? We have not heard a word from that member over there yet we had a question today on the matter that lasted a very long time. Why is that? Who are those members over there trying to suck up to? That is what I want to know. Dr Smith is forgetting about that immigration issue just like that after asking question after question after question. 
This bill defines what immigration advice is. If we look at clause 7 we see it spelt out in pretty clear and simple English. Clause 7 refers to “using or purporting to use knowledge of or experience in immigration to advise direct assist or represent …”. That probably comes as news to those members opposite—they only sat on the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee for months considering this bill! This is the first time they have actually read this bill and I am just giving them a bit of information. 
The bill also states who is prohibited from providing immigration advice—it is basically people who are not licensed or are not exempt. I have talked about exempt people and they include MPs and their staff. 
David Bennett 
: And lawyers. 
Hon MARK GOSCHE 
: That member over there who belongs to the lawyers’ trade union worked very hard to make sure that lawyers were exempt. Most of us were uncomfortable about it because we have dealt with crooked lawyers as well as immigration consultants. A lot of lawyers actually asked not to be exempt because they said they operate purely in the area of immigration and should be treated the same as Australian lawyers. David Bennett fought as hard as he could to make sure that crooked lawyers were exempt. Well we will look forward to the Law Society doing a good job of making sure that those crooked lawyers are put out of business. If it does not do so this Parliament will have to deal with this matter again and this Parliament will have to change the law on exemptions for lawyers. 
But I will talk a little bit more about who is exempt. There has been nothing from the people on the other side about the Citizens Advice Bureaux which do wonderful work in this area for nothing. 
House resumed. 
The Chairperson reported the Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill with amendment progress on the Immigration Advisers Licensing Bill and no progress on the Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill. 
Report adopted.