Ruth Webber (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Macdonald, if you did not know that there was going to be a division, you must have been one of the few people who did not. I work in a whip’s office and I can tell you that every Labor senator knew that there was going to be a division, and I am sure my friend Senator Ferris ensured that all of you knew that there would be a division at some point.

We all knew that there would be a division. We all knew that it was a regular meeting but we thought it was just a consensus meeting to establish a subcommittee to have another hearing on the national parks inquiry, to sign off on some minutes and, as I said, to consider the draft agenda, the draft program, for the budget estimates that clearly outlined that Telstra would appear some time after 9 am on Monday the 30th. There was no indication that the government had anything else planned. There was no consultation. There was nothing. And now, lo and behold, because the chair has been caught out, because he tried to do something contrary to standing orders, we now have to have another meeting by teleconference at 11 am eastern standard time next Wednesday.