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

I apologise if that was the way it was taken, Mr President. What I am referring to is the way that Senate procedure may apparently operate. If the motion is, in effect, backdated as having taken effect at five to 12 rather than eight minutes past 12, that may be the way the Senate seeks to record things. But, for those of us who follow eastern daylight saving time, I think it is only fair and reasonable to take it that, if there is a motion that calls upon something to happen before 12 and the motion is not actually determined until after 12, that is not reasonable.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Mr President, if I can continue, the question that was before the chair before 12 was 'That the question now be put'. The question before the chair was not the motion of Senator Wong. It is quite possible that the question 'That the question now be put' could in fact have been defeated. Therefore, I cannot see how the commencement of a vote on the question 'That the question now be put' can be deemed to be the time at which the question on Senator Wong's substantive motion took effect and was passed.