John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Hansard source

I will only speak briefly. Let me assure the Senate of the importance of the ministerial statement I would like to make this afternoon. I also appreciate the points that are made about constraints of business. It had been my intention to make some very curtailed remarks and then incorporate my complete statement on Afghanistan. I intend to distribute to the chamber anyway the ministerial statement and I will be seeking leave to incorporate a more complete statement in Hansard. I hope this approach outlined by the Manager of Government Business will give the chamber adequate time—perhaps not to debate all the issues that Senator Brown was talking about but at least to, as is often the case in this chamber, allow a senator, in this case I suspect it will be Senator Johnston, to move that the Senate take note of the ministerial statement and then allow debate to ensue allow any senator who wishes to make a brief contribution to do so. Let me give this assurance to the Senate: I will keep my remarks brief to allow those senators who wish to make a contribution on the matter this afternoon within the time that has been proposed by the Manager of Government Business.

I appreciate the courtesies extended around the chamber to enable debate on this critically important issue in relation to Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan to take place. I cannot think of anything more important in terms of a capacity for the parliament, for the Senate, to receive regular reports on the situation in Afghanistan and for the Senate to have an opportunity to consider that. But in this case, of course, as is always the case, the Senate’s consideration would be around the issue of taking note of the ministerial statement. So I appreciate the courtesies around the chamber to enable this to take place and I commend the approach that has been proposed.