Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That, on Thursday, 29 November 2012:

(a) the hours of meeting shall be 9.30 am to 6.30 pm and 7 pm to adjournment;

(b) divisions may take place after 4.30 pm;

(c) any proposal pursuant to standing order 75 shall not be proceeded with;

(d) consideration of general business and committee reports, government responses and Auditor-General's reports under standing order 62(1) and (2) shall not be proceeded with;

(e) the routine of business from not later than 12.45 pm to 2 pm and from not later than 3.45 pm shall be government business only;

(f) the question for the adjournment of the Senate shall not be proposed until a motion for the adjournment is moved by a minister;

(g) the following government business orders of the day shall have precedence over all government business, be called on in the following order and be considered under a limitation of time, and that the time allotted be as follows:

(h) Paragraph (g) of this order shall operate as a limitation of debate under standing order 142.

This motion was anticipated in my speech to the hours motion passed by the Senate last Tuesday. The motion organises the consideration of the government legislation for the remainder of today. Limiting the hours to be spent on the remaining bills for 2012 will ensure that the government's program of legislation is completed in a timely fashion. In drafting the motion I have taken up the suggestion of opposition senators from the debate on Tuesday that we do sit later tonight.

Once again, I would like to thank all senators for their cooperation in debating legislation in these spring sittings. Particularly this fortnight, the Senate has sat extended hours and dealt with a very high volume of legislation. With the notable exception of Senator Abetz's contribution on the fair work bill on Tuesday and yesterday, when we spent well over an hour of the debate on the name of an organisation, I recognise that debate has moved constructively and that most positions on bills are now on the record. This is hard work for all of us, our staff and Senate staff, and thank you all for your corporation.

The motion before us aims to allow enough time for the four remaining contentious government bills so that all parties and Senator Xenophon will have a chance to speak on these bills. As I said on Tuesday, such motions are typical of this time of year, regardless of the party in government. I recommend the motion to the chamber and foreshadow amendments that Senator McEwen will move that have been circulated in the chamber. These amendments simply reflect or update the order of messages we have from the House.