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 National Anti-Corruption Commission Bill 2022 and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2022:

(1) the second reading debate occurring on both bills together;

(2) notwithstanding standing order 31, if the second reading debate has not concluded earlier, at 8 pm on Tuesday, 22 November, the bills being called on together for further consideration, with 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 Wednesday, 23 November at 9 am;

(3) from 7.30 pm on Tuesday, 22 November until the adjournment of the House:

(a) any division called for being deferred until the first opportunity on Wednesday, 23 November; and

(b) if any Member draws the attention of the Speaker to the state of the House, the Speaker announcing that he will count the House at the first opportunity on Wednesday, 23 November, if the Member then so desires; and

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

As members would be aware, we're wanting to make sure that the National Anti-Corruption Commission Bill has a chance to be before the Senate this year. In order to do that, I've received correspondence in a joint letter from the crossbench requesting that what we've done for a number of other bills to get them across to the Senate we do differently, particularly given the nature of this legislation. So what's being proposed today is that the speaking times remain at 15 minutes and that the House will sit tonight until 10 pm.

I will put a similar motion on the Notice Paper tomorrow so that we can have it. We will just see how the speaking lists are going. At the moment, tomorrow would finish well before 10 pm, but whenever that has been the case a whole lot of people have added their names to the list, and that may happen again so we will see where it lands. But the intention, and what this resolution will do, will be that it will keep speeches going on this bill until 10 pm tonight. But, forewarned, we intend, if we have to, to do something similar tomorrow.

Speaking times will remain at 15 minutes and the debate will effectively be suspended between 7.30 pm and 8 pm so that anyone scheduled to speak on the adjournment is still able to have that adjournment speech. Other than that, at this point nothing changes. But the general rule, from 6.30 pm on there will be no divisions, there will be no quorum called. It's the best way we've been able to balance the request from the crossbench with what the government is trying to achieve in getting this through, and also being mindful of the Jenkins recommendations on late sittings. I commend the resolution to the House.

Question agreed to.

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