Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

Labor supports this amendment to standing orders, which would allow the Main Committee to sit on Monday until all business before it is concluded instead of requiring a motion to extend. The amendment to standing order 192 clarifies that the priority of the Main Committee on Mondays is committee and delegation reports. It is extraordinary, however, that we have a motion before the House this afternoon to extend the sitting of the Main Committee. Whilst we in the Labor Party are certainly happy to facilitate the use of the Main Committee to consider business, it is surprising because the government has not been prioritising business at all. Indeed, in the last sitting, just six weeks ago, the week before parliament rose, the Main Committee barely had any business to consider at all. On the Wednesday, all we had was a series of three-minute statements from members and on the Thursday it did not sit at all. Nothing could better illustrate the fact that this government is short of ideas, it is short of legislation, it is out of touch and it is out of time. Nothing could better illustrate that fact. The Leader of the House, the member for Warringah, never does his job. He gets other people to do it for him. He cannot be bothered moving motions that are appropriately moved by the Leader of the House in this chamber. He simply gets his colleague—

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