Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I have listened to the Leader of the House and to the member for Gorton and, having just come back into the chair, obviously examined the bill and the amendments that are before the House. The Leader of the House makes the point that the shadow minister is seeking to essentially conduct private member's business during amendments on the bill. I understand the point, absolutely, that he is trying to make. There have been some private member's bills moved on this motion. I fact, I think even the member for Gorton has moved one such bill. The issue here is whether the amendments that are being moved relate to the subject matter of the bill that is before the house, not really whether the amendments themselves are very similar to a private member's bill. The member for Gorton is not seeking to bring on his private member's bill. I hope you will not mind me saying that he is clearly duplicating the intent of that, but he is doing it by way of an amendment. So what this really turns on is the bill itself, the short title of which is the Fair Work Amendment (Repeal of 4 Yearly Reviews and Other Measures) Bill 2017; a Bill for an Act to amend the Fair Work Act 2009 and for related purposes.

I think the amendment is in order on that basis, because it is not at odds with the title of the bill and there certainly are lots of scenarios where there are other measures and related purposes where there are amendments provided on that on that subject matter. It is not seeking to amend another act. I think, on that basis, the amendments are in order and I need to allow debate to continue on them. We are at the point where the member for Gorton has spoken.

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