Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I would like to make a statement to the Senate indicating the complication the government had in relation to the division on the third reading of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2006. The amendment to the bill was put and there was a division, and the Hansard will record that the government defeated the amendment. Immediately that division concluded, two senators from the government side, Senator Ellison and Senator Santoro, left the chamber. I have ascertained that it was between one and two minutes from the conclusion of the division on the amendment and the announcement being made by the President. The division bells were rung again for the third reading of the bill, and we divided. The division bells were rung for one minute. The two senators in question attempted to return to the chamber under the impression it was a four-minute division bell. Of course, they did not make it in time for the division. Hence, the government lost the third reading division. With that explanation, I seek leave to move that the third reading of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2006 be recommitted.