Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Acting Deputy President, the opposition will be asking that, in relation to the introduction of the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill 2014 [No. 2], you put the question separately on the procedural element of that motion, 'that these bills may proceed without formalities'. I wish to speak briefly to that procedural motion.

I will just briefly explain why the opposition has moved that motion. I note that the opposition will support that part of the parliamentary secretary's motion that allows the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill 2014 [No. 2] and the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Youth Employment and Other Measures) Bill 2015 to be taken together and read a first time. However, the opposition does not support any prospect of these bills being debated prior to the tabling of the report of the Senate committee inquiring into the bills—that is, the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee. We note that that committee is due to report on 11 August 2015, and the opposition understands that debate rightly can proceed at any time after that committee reports.

The opposition wishes to ensure that debate in this chamber for the rest of today continues on the Migration Amendment (Regional Processing Arrangements) Bill 2015, and I note that it was agreed earlier in the Senate chamber that that would be the only bill to be debated or to be subject to any procedural matters or conclusion today. That was also agreed outside the chamber by discussions between the major parties. The opposition will not agree to any other procedural motion or motion that brings forward any other bill for debate or any other motion that has procedural impact today. With that, I note again that the opposition is asking you to put separately that part of the motion moved by the minister that the bills may be taken together and now read a first time, and that that part of the motion that says that the bills will proceed without formalities be put to the vote of the Senate.