Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Hansard source

I have received the following letter from Senator Siewert:

Pursuant to standing order 75,

I give notice that today I propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

"The Abbott government's continued secrecy over the interception and transfer of asylum seekers on the Indian Ocean, and the fate of the 153 asylum seekers who remain unaccounted for."

Is the urgency motion supported?

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

I understand that informal arrangements have been made to allocate specific times to each of the speakers in today’s debate. With the concurrence of the Senate, I shall ask the clerks to set the clock accordingly.