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

I would like to speak on this motion. In so doing, I preface my remarks by indicating that the arrangement of the program is such that we are now going to have to return to this chamber next week. Mr Acting Deputy President Bernardi, you will know that the travel allowance given to senators and members relates to the registered sitting days. Next week it will be a question of whether senators—and I assume members—can afford to bring staff down under their existing travel budget. So, in considering this motion, it is a question of whether, when we next sit and the orders of the day are being presented, we will have the benefit of having staff here.

I appreciate that ministers and party leaders like Senator Brown, who tried to stop me from asking this question, are in a different situation. Obviously Senator Brown, as a leader, gets a lot more pay and allowances than the rest of us. That is obviously why he wanted to prevent me from asking this question. In a most unprecedented way leave was refused. I indicate to the Greens that if they ask for leave for anything for the rest of this year—