Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I have not got it all wrong; I know exactly what has happened. There will need to be another meeting to reconsider this issue, Senator Macdonald, and the outcome may actually be the same because the government, by definition, has the numbers on the committee. But this is still not an excuse for the sort of arrogant behaviour demonstrated by the chair. I am surprised and shocked because the chair of this committee is not an arrogant man. No-one could describe the chair of this committee as an arrogant person. He is a thoroughly decent person. But I believe that he has acted outside the bounds of decency, at a minimum, courtesy and procedure. My understanding, and others may want to make a contribution, is that there is going to have to be another meeting to revisit this issue, and that is the appropriate course of action. It is not appropriate to gag debate without a gag motion. It is not appropriate to instruct people that they cannot speak. It is not appropriate to force a vote when the bells are ringing.

I promised I would not take up too much time, because I know that a number of senators in the chamber were present at the hearing. I am sure that Senator Macdonald will want to defend his colleague, but I am also sure that Senator Macdonald was uncomfortable with the course of events—and rightly so. Since Senator Macdonald has come onto that committee, he has shown a willingness to facilitate outcomes and to ensure that the committee acts appropriately. He has been uncomfortable about the brevity of some committee hearings and the conduct of some committee hearings. I know that to be the case. But, as I said, I will not speak for long, and I pass over to the next speaker.