Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion to suspend standing orders to allow the member for Cook's bill to be brought on for debate. Obviously at this very late hour, at 20 to four in the morning, this has come as somewhat of a surprise to the opposition. The member for Denison and I spoke about five minutes ago and he indicated to me that he intended to seek leave to bring on this bill and then, if he was not given leave, to move a suspension of standing orders to bring on the member for Cook's bill. The opposition obviously supports the member for Cook's bill; it is our policy. We believe very strongly that any offshore processing should occur in a country that has signed the UN convention on refugees. We have had debates for the last two days in both this place and the other place on the importance of refugees being processed offshore in places that have signed the refugee convention. It is shocking to us that the government would continue to insist on its failed policy of the Malaysian people swap. We do not support the Malaysian people swap. Yesterday when I spoke in the House I made it absolutely clear that the greatest problem from my point of view with respect to the Malaysian people swap was the idea that women and children would become the gold standard for people smugglers to bring to Australia so they could then take advantage of the family reunion program to bring either their fathers or their husbands to Australia, rather than the current situation where that is not the case. Therefore, we obviously do support the suspension of standing orders to allow the member for Cook's bill to be brought on for debate.

It is also clearly obvious to me, as I have been in this place for some time, that the idea that the House would gain 76 votes for a suspension of standing orders at 20 to four on the Thursday night and Friday morning of the end of a session is very unlikely. Clearly, that will not happen. It would be very optimistic, as the Chief Government Whip says. But this is a very serious issue. While it is optimistic, I would hope that 76 votes can be gained if the government supports the member for Denison's motion. The opposition will certainly support the member for Denison's motion. With his support and the government's support, this motion could be carried, the suspension of standing orders could be carried and the member for Cook's bill could therefore be debated. And, therefore, the bill could be carried.

So, while some members are making merry with the idea that at 20 to four we could have this vote, in fact, if the government chose to support a suspension of standing orders, it would carry; the 76 votes would be gained. If the Leader of the House were in the chamber, I am sure he would support such a suspension of standing orders. I do not know where the Leader of the House is, but surely he is somewhere in the vicinity of the parliament and capable of appearing in this place and voting with the opposition.

I have spent some time with the Leader of the House tonight. We have had many good occasions over many years, the Leader of the House and I, and I would call on him to come into the House tonight and support the member for Denison's motion, because there is a very serious point to be made. The member for Denison has, in all good conscience, raised this suspension of standing orders tonight—

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