Lee Rhiannon (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I am happy to take the interjection: somebody tells me to sit down. But the point needs to be made about the mismanagement that is going on here—the arrogance that is occurring in how the government tries to manage this place. It does not make for a cooperative set-up in how we run the debate on this bill, because there are complexities. We are now into a heap of amendments that we need time for, but the starting point for the Attorney-General is to put people at loggerheads, not showing any cooperation or a willingness to just follow the informal practices that occur in this place—which I always find quite fascinating, actually. While there are all the rigid rules that go down, there is that flexibility and cooperation. There is so much that is done by leave in quite a civil way so we can keep this place moving and we all get our cut of the action to some degree. But this heavy-handed approach that we have seen from the Leader of the Government in the Senate is a really bad start to the day.

I look forward to getting to the debate. I think what would be wise for Senator Brandis is just to withdraw this motion. Let's get on with it right now. That is what we should be doing: getting back to the committee on the ABCC.