Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement on our reasons for denying formality.

Leave granted.

I believe Senator Whish-Wilson has been made aware of this. For the sake of the record, I need to state the reasons. It is a standing position that we put on the record several times in the last sitting of the Senate—and we put it on record again. Consistent with the statement made by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Wong, on 25 March 2014, the opposition does not believe that complex and contested matters, including specifically matters that concern foreign affairs and relations, should be dealt with in the summary fashion by this chamber. Serious issues deserve serious consideration—not a vote take in summary form without a word of debate. This motion sought to be moved by Senator Whish-Wilson deals with matters related to serious human rights abuses and the interaction between foreign policy and trade policy. No-one should mistake our decision to deny formality with support for any discrimination under any legal system based on race, gender, religious belief or sexuality.