Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—My very short statement is really in the form of a question to the Manager of Government Business in the Senate. I was informed a minute ago that the government had reordered the business of the Senate to delay the Migration Amendment (Designated Unauthorised Arrivals) Bill 2006 and bring on the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment Bill 2006. I concede that it is always the prerogative of the government to change the order of business but, even by this government’s standards, notifying us after the bells had started ringing and with a minute’s notice was extraordinary. It is no wonder Senator Bartlett, like many others in the chamber, is unclear as to what is occurring. The government may well have problems internally with the migration amendment bill, but it seems to me highly unusual and improper for us to be treated so poorly when dealing with important legislation. (Quorum formed)

Before I was so rudely interrupted by what I assume was a cunning plan—I do not know what it achieved other than to get a few Liberal senators out of their offices—I was making the point that we were given a minute’s notice that the government had pulled the migration bill and was not prepared to debate it today, or certainly before lunchtime, as had been advertised for a week or so. I do not know what has occurred—whether the government is in disarray or is unwilling to proceed with the bill at all this week. That is obviously for the government to decide.