John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Acting Deputy President, for your very wise counsel to Senator Boswell. The situation the chamber faces here is that the government—very generously, I think—gave leave after I had moved the third reading of this bill, to allow Senator Boswell to ask a question. I have to say, through you, Mr Acting Deputy President, that it would not have been unreasonable for the government to have expected—or me to have expected, in this instance—that perhaps the questions would have been in some way relevant to the bill before the chamber. They are not, and I suspect, Senator Boswell, it is not appropriate, on the third reading of this particular bill, to ask questions of that nature. But you know what a cooperative government the Rudd government is and, at the appropriate time, I am sure either I or another minister will be able to assist you with these important questions.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a third time.