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

by leave—I rise to make a short statement. Senator Parry is quite right. I reiterate that I have written twice to the Prime Minister—in September and then in October—pointing out the seriousness of the situation which we now see evolving, and recommending extra sitting weeks be scheduled before and after the session for the Senate. The Prime Minister did not reply. I had a letter from the Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator Evans, who is not here at the moment, recommending this extension of sitting hours. No proper explanation was given as to why a much earlier rescheduling of the Senate time—which would have been a courtesy to all senators and constituents right across this country—could not be done. Instead, there was a disdainful view from the Prime Minister that the Senate would apparently jump to his offices’ dictates sometime this week or next. I hope that Senator Ludwig will take back to the government the very serious opposition to that form of cavalier treatment of the Senate. If the Prime Minister cannot read a written letter and bother responding to it, then he should read the Hansard. I recommend that the government take a very serious look at what is being said by the opposition, the Greens and other crossbenchers on this matter. It is no good getting up next week and bleating about matters that will not be dealt with because of the schedule. It will be entirely the fault of the government if that happens.