Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Justice and Customs) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—The situation, I understand, is that Senator Brown’s office was advised of this procedure. It has the support, as I understand it, of the opposition and the Democrats at least. The government proposed that it would give some time for people to look at the running sheet, which is being produced as we speak, and that the Tax Laws Amendment (2006 Measures No. 1) Bill 2006 could be debated in the meantime. I would envisage that that would take no more than an hour or so. We would back to the Telecommunications (Interception) Amendment Bill 2006 at a later hour tonight.

Senator Brown’s office was certainly contacted about this proposal. The Democrats indicated their support for it, and were in fact very keen on having a break. It is fair to say that the opposition was agreeable to this procedure, and the government was as well. There is nothing untoward about this. It is just a matter of commonsense—giving people some time to look at the running sheet and prepare for the debate.