Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Acting Deputy President, I rise on a point of order in relation to the order of speakers given the call. You are right: a point of order could have been raised at the time that Senator Wright was given the call, but the government was operating on the assumption that the usual convention would be followed and that the speaker called after Senator Wright would, in fact, be a government speaker. I did, in fact, prior to the calling of Senator Faulkner make an informal petition to the chair that Senator Brandis be called rather than Senator Faulkner. So although a point of order was not raised on the floor in relation to Senator Wright, as I say, I had been operating on the assumption that the ordinary course of events would ensure that the matter was corrected and that Senator Brandis would be called. As you will recall, Mr Acting Deputy President, I did make an informal petition to you before the calling of Senator Faulkner that it would be appropriate for Senator Brandis to be called. My purpose in so doing was to try to avoid this particular circumstance arising which we now find ourselves in.