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

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the following from occurring in relation to proceedings on the Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Cheaper Child Care) Bill 2022:

(1) from 8 pm on Wednesday 26 October, the time limit for Members speaking on the second reading debate being reduced to 10 minutes;

(2) from 9 pm on 26 October, the time limit for Members speaking on the second reading debate being reduced to 5 minutes;

(3) the second reading debate continuing until either:

(a) no further Members rise to speak; or

(b) a Minister requires that the debate be adjourned at no earlier than 10 pm; at which point, debate being adjourned and the House immediately adjourning until Thursday 27 October at 9 am;

(4) during the sitting of Thursday 27 October, the bill being called on and questions being immediately put on any amendments moved to the motion for the second reading and on the second reading of the bill;

(5) if required, a consideration in detail stage of the bill, with any detail amendments to be moved together, with:

(a) one question to be put on all government amendments;

(b) one question to be put on all opposition amendments; and

(c) separate questions then to be put on any sets of amendments moved by crossbench Members; and one question to be put that the bill [as amended] be agreed to;

(6) should a Minister require, any question provided for under paragraph (5) being put after no less than 10 minutes of debate on each set of amendments;

(7) when the bill has been agreed to, the question being put immediately on the third reading of the bill; and

(8) any variation to this arrangement being made only on a motion moved by a Minister.

I won't delay the House long. The notice is on the Notice Paper, so members have had a chance to be across it.

For the final sitting fortnight of the year, there are pieces of legislation that we will need to have through the House and across to the Senate by that point. There will be a few when we return for the single week as well. In terms of managing that time, rather than simply coming in and moving that the question be put and guillotining speeches immediately, I prefer, and I think most members have preferred, a process where we set a deadline which allows people to make speeches that they otherwise wouldn't have been able to, and then have the votes the following morning. That's the reason that this is being moved. Once again, while there can be some inconvenience for people in terms of the timing of later speeches, I do think it's a much better procedure than simply moving that the question be put and crunching things through.

See this speech in context