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

I rise to move a motion to give extra hours to government business this evening to deal with three specific bills. I do appreciate the cooperation from senators this week with non-controversial legislation, and I also recognise the cooperation which has been provided to manage our legislative program to date. But, as anyone who has glanced at the Notice Paper would see, we have a lot of legislation before us. If the progress yesterday of the EPBC Amendment Bill is any guide, we will be here for many more weeks, which none of us want. Perhaps provoked by Senator Birmingham, I might add that having, on three separate occasions, additional speakers being added to the second reading list is not assisting progress with respect to that bill.

The only option for the government is to move this motion to provide for more government business time. As you would all know, this is a relatively straightforward motion. And it will not come as a great surprise to those of us who have been around here for some time, as a motion to extend hours for government business has become standard practice for the last sitting fortnight of a parliament and indeed of a session.

The government has attempted to give people as much warning as possible, and I have written to leaders about the issue. I anticipate the support of the chamber for this motion, which is the sensible way of getting the legislation dealt with. As the chamber would know—and I have made the point before on several occasions—there is insufficient time in the program for government business and the situation has prompted the need for this motion before us. I ask senators to support this motion so that the chamber can expedite legislation this evening. I move:

That, on Tuesday, 18 June 2013:

(a) the hours of meeting shall be 12.30 pm to 6.30 pm and 7 pm to adjournment;

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

(c) that consideration of government documents under standing order 57(b) (x) be not proceeded with;

(d) that business be interrupted at 5 pm but not so as to interrupt a senator speaking to enable valedictory statements be made relating to Senator Crossin;

(e) that the routine of business from not later than 7 pm shall be government business only and the following government business orders of the day shall have precedence over all government business:

(i) Parliamentary Service Amendment (Freedom of Information) Bill 2013,

(ii) Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill 2013, and

(iii) Australia Council Bill 2013 and a related bill; and

(f) the question for the adjournment of the Senate shall be proposed at 10 pm.