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

on indulgence—Regarding arrangements for today, people are aware of the legislation that we passed quickly so that the Senate would be able to deal with it quickly—and the concept of the Senate dealing with an issue quickly is always different to our concept of dealing with something quickly. My understanding is that the Senate will deal with that legislation by 7 pm tonight. We are working on the basis that transmission tends to take in the order of an hour and a half. What I propose for arrangements for the rest of the day is as follows.

In a moment, I will move for the suspension of the standing order that is relevant to whether or not we can receive business after 4.30 today. When we get to 4.30, I will request that the question be put immediately on the adjournment. The government's intention is that we vote that the House do not adjourn. I'm very conscious there will be six people who have prepared speeches for the adjournment. The intention is that leave will be given for five-minute speeches for each of those six people. So, if you prepared a speech, you'll still get to give it, even though the adjournment has been negated. At 5 pm, I will ask you, Mr Speaker, if it would suit the convenience of the House for the House to suspend, with the intention that we would come back here at 8.30 pm tonight. By that time, we expect transmission will have occurred. That hour and a half should be enough for the Senate to have dealt with any potential amendments before it. It will mean we will not have to be here tomorrow. In terms of the different ways people will vote, when we resume at 8.30, there'll be an opportunity for debate on the motion as to whether or not the amendments from the Senate be agreed to.

Here is a quick summary of the order of events: in a moment I'll move the suspension of the relevant standing order; at 4.30 we'll ask to negate the adjournment, but anyone who's prepared a speech will still get to give that speech; and at 5 pm, we'll ask the Speaker to vacate the chair until 8.30 pm. At 8.30 pm—or any time after that, if transmission has not occurred—the bells will ring and we'll come back to receive the message from the Senate. I hope that clarifies everything.

To give effect to that, first of all, I ask leave of the House to move a motion to suspend standing order 31, the automatic adjournment of the House, and standing order 33, the limit on business after normal time of adjournment for the sitting.

Leave granted.

I thank the House. I move:

That standing order 31 (automatic adjournment of the House) and standing order 33 (limit on business after normal time of adjournment) be suspended for this sitting.

Question agreed to.