Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the resumption of debate on the motion that the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Bill 2018 be read a second time being made an order of the day for a later hour.

I'm introducing the suspension of standing orders through a contingent motion, which means of course it doesn't require an absolute majority, because this government is absolutely committed to passing this divestment legislation at the earliest possible opportunity in order to get it into the Senate so that the Senate can receive its committee report and pass legislation in the February sittings of the parliament. If we do not pass this divestment legislation in the next 48 hours or less, we won't be able to pass it until February next year and the Senate won't pass it until the budget session next year. So, the longer this takes to pass, the more the energy companies will be able to keep thumbing their noses at consumers around Australia. We would like to see the bill passed so it can go into the Senate, and then it can be debated in the Senate in February and be passed in February, and then the energy companies will be required to listen to the consumers and to the government, directing them to reduce their electricity prices. So everyone who votes against the suspension of standing orders is essentially saying that they want to delay this legislation until at least April next year, and everyone voting in favour of this suspension of standing orders is saying, 'Let's get on with it as soon as we can and pass legislation through the Senate and the House of Representatives by February next year and start taking the big stick to the energy companies.'

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