Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—The leaders and whips idea may be a good one to pursue. I can foresee more of this coming down the line. I want to reiterate the Greens position on sitting Fridays. If it becomes necessary to sit on Fridays, we would expect that would mean Thursday night did not cope and Friday is going to be a fairly full sitting. We believe that under those circumstances there should be a question time. If it is important enough for the Senate to sit, it is important enough for a question time so that the urgent, important other matters of the day can be taken into account.

Senator Siewert to move on 24 September 2008:

That the following bill be introduced: A Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of a Stolen Generations Reparations Tribunal to decide and make recommendations on claims for reparation and other matters, and for related purposes. Stolen Generations Reparations Tribunal Bill 2008.

Senator Ludlam to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes that:

(i)

Sunday, 21 September 2008, was the International Day of Peace, declared by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2002 as a day of non-violence and a global ceasefire, commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples,

(ii)

on this day, a general ceasefire across Afghanistan lasted from midnight Saturday through to midnight Sunday, 21 September 2008, and was observed by the military forces of the United States of America, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Afghan Government and the Taliban, and

(iii)

on Thursday, 18 September 2008, the Senate voted against a motion calling on the Government to participate in the International Day of Peace ceasefire and encourage other nations to likewise; and

(b)

calls on the Government to reconsider its support for UN initiatives such as the International Day of Peace.