Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

What later hour are we considering here? The government brought this legislation on. It controls the business of the house. This is very serious legislation. Senators who are focused on this legislation either want the debate to go ahead or want to know when the government is going to get its business in order so that we can proceed with the debate. The government is having trouble getting a quorum in here—it is back to three members in the chamber again. It might treat this lightly but I do not, and I would like to know when the government perceives that this debate is going to resume. We are not here just to have the government turn the tap on or off. It is a serious matter.

If the government wants to now haul off from a debate it set going this afternoon—peremptorily, because it wanted to put off another piece of legislation which was scheduled, because Senator Fielding is not here—that is one matter. But, having brought this legislation on, we should deal with it. I have heard no good argument from the minister at the table as to why we should now abandon it and go on to a third piece of legislation. That is chaotic. Government should get itself into gear. I want to hear some explanation.