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

on indulgence—I congratulate you on the role, Deputy Speaker Andrews, as well. I'm not jumping for the tutorial, which may surprise the honourable member, but given that I have a motion on the Notice Paper to manage this debate, I thought I should advise members as to how late I expect tonight's sitting to go. At the moment, the list of speakers would imply that we will finish this debate at around 6:30. That being the case, there's obviously no need to move a resolution keeping the House here until 10 pm. I will leave the resolution there. If any point we get a sudden increase in the number of speakers, which means that we won't be able to otherwise resolve the issue tonight, then at that point I would move the motion that's on the Notice Paper. People—including the attendants, who have a lot at stake in this—it is reasonable to presume on the current speaking list that we have that we will finish at the ordinary time today, with the ordinary rules. That notice will be moved only if that changes. I would advise the House immediately if I were to be told that by the whips, but I don't expect to be.

Debate interrupted.

See this speech in context