John Hogg (Queensland, Deputy-President) Share this | Hansard source

I inform the Senate that the President has received the following letter, dated 17 March 2008, from the Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Bob Brown:

Dear Mr President,

Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to move:

That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The bloodshed in Tibet and the need for strong, decisive action by the Government to insist that international laws and norms, including those safeguarding human and political rights and media access are observed by China.

Is the proposal supported?

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

I understand that informal arrangements have been made to allocate specific times to each of the speakers in today’s debate. With the concurrence of the Senate, I shall ask the clerks to set the clock accordingly.