Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Otherwise I would take your advice about when we should take note of the response you have given this chamber. I seek leave.

Leave granted.

I move:

That the Senate take note of the statement.

I understand that this is an unusual time to do this, but for the record I do want to take the opportunity to take note of the response you have provided to the Senate. I appreciate that you have done that in a very timely manner. I also understand that you have put to us that neither of the Presiding Officers has made that decision. If I understand it correctly, it is the Presiding Officers who will make that decision, as opposed to perhaps a senior public servant in the Department of Parliamentary Services. I want to place on record—and I think I would probably speak on behalf of most women parliamentarians in this place—that if such a decision were ever to be made we would want to be consulted. That does not say that we do not believe, perhaps, that the photos need to be updated, that the display might need to be updated or that in fact it could be modernised, but I think to close down such a display and totally replace it would be most unfortunate. Perhaps you could also, by tomorrow, give the Senate a guarantee that that display will remain in place until the convening of the 42nd Parliament.