Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The government does not support the amendment moved by the opposition, not because we do not support efforts to deal with the package of parliamentary entitlement reform bills through the Senate efficiently this week but because the government's priority today is to deal with the Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Amendment Bill 2017 first. We do not want to delay the passage of this important productivity-enhancing bill in any way. That is why the government will be voting against this amendment. However, should this motion pass unamended, and once the Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Amendment Bill 2017 is dealt with, I foreshadow on behalf of the government that it is our intention to move a further, separate motion tomorrow to ensure that we can deal with the package of parliamentary entitlements reform bills before the Senate rises tomorrow.