Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Chairman, on the point of order, Senator Joyce is correct: this is not relevant. It is, as Senator Abetz said, a filibuster. I have some serious questions to ask in the committee stage and I am being prevented from doing that by someone delivering what is effectively a 15-minute second reading debate speech in the committee stage of the bill. I know the government are not ready and that they do have to make time, but I think it would be appropriate to deal with some of the questions of the minister relating to the package whilst the government try to work out what they are doing next.