Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I support the motion to suspend standing orders in order that the substance of the motion may be debated. If there is new information and it is of importance there ought to be a suspension of standing orders. The motion that Senator Bob Brown put to suspend standing orders so that the Restoring Territory Rights (Voluntary Euthanasia Legislation) Bill 2010 could be dealt with was an important motion that ought to have be debated by this parliament, and it was unfortunate that the opposition did not see fit to support it. Notwithstanding that, I indicated to Senator Brown my opposition to the whole concept of voluntary euthanasia. So my criteria for supporting motions to suspend standing orders is that there must be new information of sufficient importance to require debate on the substance of the motion.

I think that when you consider the importance of Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2010, you consider the importance of the National Broadband Network and you consider that a business plan has been provided but not yet released then these are legitimate issues for public debate. I will say more about this in the context of the substantive motion if standing orders are suspended. I am yet to be convinced that this motion ought to be passed on the merits of the substance of the motion, but I think the coalition are well within their rights to call for debate on a motion such as this. I point out, since Senator Joyce is in the chamber, that in relation to Senator Nash’s bill, the Social Security Amendment (Income Support for Regional Students) Bill 2010, I could not support a suspension of standing orders for a number of reasons, one of which is that nothing new had been done on the bill between March and November. It had not gone through a committee process as bills normally do so that bills are appropriately scrutinised for the information of the Senate. But I see this is quite different. There is a lack of information and that is a concern for the opposition. Also, matters relating to Telstra are being debated this week and next week. So it is quite legitimate, I believe, to suspend standing orders so that the substance of this motion can be debated.