Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Leave granted.

These are quite extraordinary times. We have a situation where the opposition are seeking to uphold the longstanding principle that the will of the Senate should be maintained in votes, a principle that the opposition have now discovered with some force—and I must say we had some difficulties with them understanding this in the past when they were in government. It is essentially a principle that is conceded on both sides of the chamber. It is extremely important that the Senate’s will is reflected in the votes of this place. If a senator is not able to attend a division or by misadventure fails to attend a vote then there is a convention that the senator—as Senator Boyce has done—gives an explanation for the failure to attend the vote. I understand this may be the first occasion for Senator Boyce on which that has occurred. I do not recall circumstances where I have been obliged to do that because I think I have met the fundamental requirement, the obligation, of senators to come into this chamber and cast a vote.