Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I have three quick responses to issues that were just raised by the Manager of Opposition Business. First of all, he had a quote from me referring to a bill that had only been introduced the day before. Well, I don't know how that's relevant to this debate. I don't get the connection there to this debate. I'm sure there are other quotes to pick, but my suggestion is he could try to pick ones that are vaguely relevant to what's in front of us.

Secondly, an example was given about the difference in consideration in detail. What used to happen wasn't that you got 10 minutes to speak on an amendment and wasn't that you got five minutes to speak on an amendment. It used to be that, when he was sitting on this side, you didn't even get to move the amendment. It wasn't even put to the House. So if we have come up with a mechanism which allows there to be a mover moving amendments, many of which we will not agree with, so there can be discussion in the House before the vote, and the House gets to make a decision, we make no apology for that. We make no apology for using a democratically elected House for democratic purposes.

Finally, in the examples the Manager of Opposition just gave, he gave the game away at the end when he said, 'We should just keep the normal processes: 15-minute speeches.' Do you know what that means? It means we don't make a decision this month. It means we don't make a decision next month. It means what those opposite are asking for actually has nothing to do with procedure. They spent nine years wanting to make sure that we don't make a decision on action on climate change. Right now, the only reason they are opposing the debate management motion that's in front of us is because it says we're going to make a decision on action on climate change this week. That's what this motion decides. To those opposite: go for it! If they want to vote against making a decision this week, they should just know that I don't know what message they thought they were given during the election campaign, but it's odd to listen to the Australian people and say, 'Oh, what they're wanting is for us to continue to delay acting on climate change.' It's a very strange message to be hearing, particularly when you consider the seat that the Manager of Opposition Business represents.

But if those opposite want to vote in a moment that we don't take any action on climate change this week, go for it. It's their democratic right, and I will always defend the democratic rights of members of this chamber, even when they are so determined to be wrong.

See this speech in context