Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion to vary the routine of business for today.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice, I move:

That so much of standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the conduct of business, namely a motion relating to the consideration of government business order of the day No. 3.

The issue that the Senate faces on this final day is to deal with some important legislation. The important legislation that we want to see dealt with today is the legislation that will deal with temporary protection visas. It is legislation that will actually help get people and children out of detention to face an appropriate Christmas. Keeping in mind that people in the case load of which we speak are not people that have come to Australia courtesy of coalition policy, but courtesy of the legacy issues that we are still trying to clean up on this side.

I simply say this, especially to the Australian Labor Party and the Greens who might oppose this motion: do they really want children and others in detention over the Christmas period or would they want this issue to in fact be resolved? Here they have a very real opportunity to assist in providing some legislation that undoubtedly is within the best interests of our country and especially in the best interests of that 30,000 case load legacy that the Australian Labor Party and the Greens have left us.

That is all we seek. It is a relatively modest request for and on behalf of the government to at least complete business order of the day No. 3, Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014. That is the issue that we want to deal with before we rise for the Christmas break. We believe it is an appropriate measure, it is a humanitarian measure and it is good all around. I trust that the Labor Party and Greens will see it within themselves to expedite this legislation so that we can deal with it in a manner that is expeditious and then allows us to break for the rest of the year.