Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—At the outset, I indicate to the Senate that the coalition will not be opposing this motion. In fact, we have been working with the government to progress the Workplace Relations Amendment (Transition to Forward with Fairness) Bill 2008. But two things need to be made clear here. Firstly, in the draft legislative program for the Senate, it was envisaged that the Workplace Relations Amendment (Transition to Forward with Fairness) Bill 2008 would be in the Senate by now. I appreciate the minister’s comment that there is a degree of urgency in relation to this bill—that is why we are not opposing the motion. But what I would say is that the minister could use her good offices to impress upon her colleagues in the other place that some speed is needed there. When you look at the speakers on this bill in that other place, the majority were government speakers. It was the time taken in the other place by the government that has caused the delay in the bill coming to the Senate. That should be made abundantly clear for the record. We, the coalition opposition in the Senate, stand ready to cooperate as much as we can. But the government has to get its act together in the other place in order to get the bill before us here in the Senate.

The other thing is that as a result of this other legislation has been brought on. The manager of government business and I have been working on the issue to get an appropriate order. I acknowledge that there has been a reordering of business because the Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Trustee Board and Other Measures) (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2008 was one which we have not yet had a chance to take to our party room for consideration. We requested that that be put down the list to give us that opportunity. It is a principle—and this is the second issue I raise today—that we normally allow legislation to pass through the respective processes of all sides of the chamber in order for their respective positions to be determined. We do not oppose the motion that the exemption from the cut-off be applied. But I simply restate the principle that, when bills are brought on, normally an allowance is made so that the respective parties can put them through their processes. In this case, the reason why we have to bring these bills on is because the Workplace Relations Amendment (Transition to Forward with Fairness) Bill 2008 is not yet in the Senate, and I have outlined the reasons for that. We do not oppose the motion. The government can be assured that we will continue to cooperate with them in any reasonable way that we can.