Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion to enable the ballot relating to the appointment of a member to the Joint Select Committee on Cyber-Safety to be recommitted. I also seek leave to provide an explanation.

Leave granted.

I thank the Senate. By way of explanation, I advise the Senate that, as there was no advance notification to the Senate in relation to the message that was coming back for that vote, there were some senators absent from the building and unaware that pairs were not operating at that time. As a consequence of not having that notification, they could not then participate in the ballot. It is of course the usual thing that pairs do not operate during a ballot of such a type, but without advance notification senators were unaware that the pairs system would not operate at such a time. Therefore I ask the Senate that the ballot to appoint a senator to the position to be nominated by a minority group or Independent senators to the Joint Select Committee on Cyber-Safety take place on the completion of item 8 on today’s Order of Business. That will then allow senators to have sufficient notification, by my statement today, should this motion be agreed to by the Senate. I move:

That the ballot to appoint a senator to the position to be nominated by a minority group or independent senators to the Joint Select Committee on Cyber-Safety take place on the completion of item 8 on today’s Order of Business.