Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I am sure I have heard before in this chamber the points that Senator Bartlett makes. In respect of the program, it is a planned program. What the Senate does—and has done in the last couple of years—is to ensure there is sufficient time for legislation to be debated by expanding the hours where necessary to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to speak. Given the numbers in this place, I am sure we will continue to debate legislation properly and appropriately and utilise the committee system as we have done in the past to foreshorten debates in the Senate. Of course, Fridays are reserved for Senate committees to meet, and I would encourage the committee chairs to plan their days to ensure that Fridays are utilised for committees to meet to consider legislation and other matters that committees look at.

When a new government comes into parliament, the reality is that in the first half of the year the new government will be working on delivering its election commitments, taking the necessary steps to bring forward its legislative agenda, and ensuring that stakeholders are properly consulted and that the Senate committees can do their work. This means that it is more likely that the second half of the year will be even busier than the first half.

However, the Senate has in the past adjusted its program accordingly to ensure that there is sufficient time to deal with the legislative program. In the past that statement has proved correct. The Senate has adjusted its hours and its times to ensure that debate has been had and that all of those who wanted to speak could speak on these matters. I will not prolong this matter. I do understand the point that Senator Bartlett made; however, I do not agree with it in this respect. The Senate will determine the appropriate times for sittings, as they will do now, and of course the program will generally adjust itself to ensure that we can deal with the legislation that comes forward.

Question agreed to.