Sue Lines (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The President has received the following letter from Senator Siewert:

Pursuant to standing order 75 I propose that the following matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion:

The Abbott government's treatment of asylum seekers detained offshore in Nauru and Manus Island and the recently signed deal with Cambodia.

Is the proposal 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.