Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move:

That so much of the Standing and Sessional Orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Stirling from moving the following motion—

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Madam Acting Speaker, the procedures of the House are such that the member for Stirling is now entitled to read his suspension of standing and sessional orders motion, and then the Treasurer is quite entitled to use that power under the standing orders. The member for Stirling is entitled to read his motion.

The member for Stirling has the call. He is entitled to seek a suspension and I will allow him to proceed on that basis.

Thank you, Madam Acting Speaker. I move:

That so much of the Standing and Sessional Orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Stirling from moving the following motion:That:

(1)

the Government’s:

(a)

award modernisation process has become a ticking time bomb for Australian small business who are going to find it harder to create jobs and provide opportunities under Labor’s changes; and

(b)

proposals stand condemned for failing to recognise and understand the difficult conditions already being faced by small business who cannot afford to face massive cost increases and a one size fits all approach being advocated by the Government;

(2)

the Government:

(a)

must meet with the affected groups who are increasingly worried as to what these changes might mean for their ability to keep their small business open, including representatives from the horticulture, pharmacy, aged care, fast food and hospitality industries;

(b)

recognise that they are now trying to fix a problem of their own making and that this problem could have been fixed if they had accepted sensible Coalition amendments to their Fair Work legislation that alleviated these problems for small business; and

(c)

recognise that if they don’t change course they will be condemning many small businesses to closure, they will increase costs for consumers and they will be throwing tens of thousands of Australians out of work; and

(3)

the Government suspend this bungled process until they can find a way to fulfil their election commitment to not disadvantage employers or employees.

This process has been bungled absolutely from day 1—

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Question put.

Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek to second the motion—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Question put.

Roger Price (Chifley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Acting Speaker, I would like to raise a matter with you and request that you give it some consideration. In relation to the seeking of leave and suspension this morning, the honourable member for Stirling did seek leave to move his motion. As a matter of courtesy and convenience to the House, the Treasurer rose to indicate that leave would not be granted and that it might be more appropriate for the member to proceed directly to the suspension. I think that is a very courteous way to proceed and it does assist the House in dealing with the matter. I would ask you, Madam Acting Speaker, whether you would consider the matters that I have raised and perhaps, if appropriate, provide some clarity as to the best way of handling these matters.

The Acting Speaker:

I thank the Chief Government Whip. I will seek advice and proceed with that. The difficulty is that often people seek leave when they should not be seeking leave, and that confuses the issue. Sometimes when people are rising to speak to motions they seek leave when they did not need to or they do not know at what point they need to seek leave. That confused the matter a little this morning, but I think the Chief Government Whip has a valid point and I will raise the matter with the Speaker.